News audiences get bump from coronavirus spike

Nine’s The Voice topped Seven’s Big Brother after the tiny loss on Monday night. The Voice averaged 1.04 million and Big Brother 1.04 million.

Both finished outside the national top 10. Masterchef on Ten came fifth again with 1.29 million viewers and easily beating the faded duo on Nine and Seven.

Audiences for news and current affairs programs have perked up a little in the past week with the second wave of COVID-19 infections, but the level of interest is nowhere near the surge we saw in late February through April and May.

On Foxtel, Alan “Gloria” Jones again failed to reach his opening night average of 109,000 on Sky News at 8pm. Still he topped the night on Foxtel ahead of Andrew Bolt and Peta Credlin.

Nine again won the night from Seven and Ten.

In breakfast — Sunrise with 459,000/275,000, ABC News Breakfast 329,000/2163,000, Today 320,000/216,000.

In the regions, Seven News, 656,000, Seven News 6.30, 596,000, Home and Away411,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 408,000, 7pm ABC News, 388,000. 

Network channel share:

1. Nine (29.4%)
2. Seven (26.0%)
3. Ten (21.3%)
4. ABC (14.2%)
5. SBS (9.1%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (21.2%)
2. Seven (17.8%)
3. Ten (15.4%)
4. ABC (11.0%)
5. SBS ONE (5.5%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 10 Bold,7TWO (3.4%)
2. 7mate (3.2%)
3. ABC Kids/Comedy (2.6%)
4. Gem (2.5%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.87 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.75 million
3. Nine/NBN News — 1.50 million
4. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.41 million
5. Masterchef Australia (Ten) — 1.29 million
6. 7pm ABC News — 1.26 million
7. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.10 million
8. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.09 million
9. The Chase Australia (Seven) — 1.05 million
10. The Voice (Nine) — 1.04 million

Top metro programs:

1. Seven News — 1.21 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.16 million
3. Nine News — 1.14 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.05 million
5. Masterchef Australia (Ten) — 1.01 million

Losers: The Voice 

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 1.21 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.16 million
3. Nine News — 1.14 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.05 million
5. 7pm ABC News – 871,000
6. A Current Affair (Nine) – 767,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 612,000
8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 610,000
9. Foreign Correspondent (ABC) — 460,000
10. Ten News First — 444,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) – 459,000/275,000
2. ABC News Breakfast — 327,000/216,000
3. Today (Nine) – 320,000/216,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 256,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) — 183,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 87,000

Top five pay TV programs:

1. Alan Jones (Sky News ) — 90,000
2. The Bolt Report (Sky News) – 82,000
3. Credlin (Sky News) — 70,000
4. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 69,000
5. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 50,000