Disappointing debuts signal a bad year ahead for Seven

Well, there goes the Seven West Media share price — again. In Monday’s big 4%-plus share market rise, Seven West Media shares fell 1.4% to 7 cents. So what will the Seven’s share price do today after the return of House Rules last night produced the weakest first night figures for years?

The program averaged 1.01 million last night, against 1.223 million for the April 28 start last year. Last night’s program launch averaged 1.03 million, and everything else 1 million (all national figures). It is going to be a miserable season for this one, just as MKR’s 2020 season was rotten.

The return of House Rules wasn’t enough to keep Seven in the hunt — while in total people it was just behind Nine’s 27.3% with 26.7%, in the important main channels Seven went 17.5% to the ABC’s 17.7% and Nine’s 18.1%.

But nine doesn’t have too much to gloat about. While Seven’s Sunrise won breakfast with 646,000 national viewers, ABC’s News Breakfast (409,000) easily beat Nine’s Today (394,000). ACA was weak — just 1.03 million national viewers and 10th spot nationally. 7.30 easily beat it with 1.25 million.

In the regions, Seven News had 723,000 viewers, Seven News 6.30 had 666,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm had 445,000, 7pm ABC News had 437,000, and Nine News 6.30pm had 381,000.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (27.3%)
2. Seven (26.7%)
3. ABC (22.7%)
4. Ten (15.8%)
5. SBS (7.5%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (18.1%)
2. ABC (17.7%)
3. Seven (17.5%)
4. Ten (9.2%)
5. SBS ONE (4.2%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7TWO (4.3%)
2. 10 Bold (4.1%)
3. 7TWO, GO, Gem (3.2%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News— 2.015 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.855 million 
3. Nine/NBN News   — 1.608 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.583 million
5. 7pm ABC News — 1.449 million
6. 7.30 (ABC) — 1.256 million
7. The Chase Australia 5.39pm (Seven) — 1.136 million
8. Australian Story (ABC) — 1.096 million
9. House Rules – Launch (Seven) — 1.034 million
10. ACA (Nine) — 1.032 million

Top metro programs: 

1. Seven News — 1.293 million
2. Nine News  — 1.238 million
3. Seven News 6.30 — 1.189 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.177 million
5. MAFS — 1.012 million

Losers: House Rules on Seven

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 1.293 million
2. Nine News  — 1.238 million
3. Seven News 6.30 — 1.189 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.177 million
5. ABC News — 1.012 million
6. 7.30 (ABC) — 885,000
7. Australian Story (ABC) — 783,000
8. ACA (Nine) —746,000
9. Media Watch (ABC) — 687,000
10. Four Corners (ABC) — 685,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Sunrise: National: 646,000, Metro: 380,000 
2. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) —409,000/273,000
3. Today: National: 394,000, Metro: 272,000 
4. The Morning Show (Seven) —361,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) —217,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 105,000

Top five pay TV programs: n/a

1. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 94,000
2. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 88,000
3. Credlin (Sky News) — 75,000
4. Kenny On Media (Sky News) — 61,000
5. The Kenny Report (Sky News) — 57,000