The Winners: Seven News was again tops with 1.625 million, with Today Tonight next with 1.487 million. Nine’s Getaway was high with 1.367 million (its best figures for yonks). 20 to 1, also on Nine at 8.30pm (after Getaway) averaged 1.259 million. Nine News was 4th with 1.220 million and Ten’s MasterChef Australia averaged 1.146 million. A Current Affair averaged 1.119 million people in 7th spot and the 7pm repeat of Two and a Half Men by Nine averaged 1.113 million. Grey’s Anatomy averaged 1.088 million at 8.30pm and Ghost Whisperer averaged 1.081 million at 7.30pm for Seven and 10th spot. The Footy Shows averaged 1.032 million at 9.30pm and The 7pm ABC News averaged 1.016 million. Private Practice at 9.30pm averaged 950,000, which is up from recent lows.

The Losers: Medium, Ten, 9.30pm, 734,000. Worst Week, Ten, 8pm, 705,000 and close to the most appalling program to come from the US this year. Rules of Engagement, Ten, 7.30pm, 798,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market as did Today Tonight. Ten News averaged 992,000 and just missed out on its 4th night with a million plus viewership. Ten’s late News/Sports Tonight averaged 364,000. Nine’s late News, 372,000, boosted by the Footy Shows. The 7.30 Report averaged 924,000. Lateline, 318,000, Lateline Business, 167,000. Q&A at 9.30pm, 555,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 185,000; the 9.30pm edition, 200,000. 7am Sunrise, 406,000m. 7am Today, 316,000.

The Stats: Nine won with a 6pm to midnight All People share of 30.1% (29.9%), Seven was next with 26.9% (26.6%), Ten was on 29.8% (21.6%), the ABC was on 17.3% (16.8%) and SBS was on 4.9% (4.7%). Nine won all five metro markets. Seven leads 27.7% to 25.8% for Nine and 24.3% for Ten. In regional areas a win for WIN/NBN with 29.5% from Prime/7Qld with 27.3%, Southern Cross (Ten) was on 20.1%, the ABC, 18.0% and SBS with 5.0%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Audience figures around 6.30pm to 7.30pm in Brisbane were disrupted last night while Today Tonight and ACA were moved to 7pm to allow for extended coverage by the respective news of the floods and rain in south east Queensland. Home and Away was pre-empted.

The NRL Footy Show lost viewers last night in Sydney and Brisbane from the previous week’s emotive program which dealt with the Matthew Johns story. The NRL program still beat the ABC’s Q&A last night 239,000 to 193,000 in Sydney. (Q&A was OK, but was hardly the most gripping of discussions of the year).

The developing story of the Cronulla NRL team will continue to be big in Sydney (and to a lesser extent in Brisbane). If Cronulla is forced out there will be a big revenue loss for Nine. There will be 26 fewer games to split with Foxtel next year. If that happens, Nine and Foxtel will want to cut the amounts they pay to the NRL, provoking more financial pressures for the code. Covering those issues will be beyond the Footy Show and beyond Nine’s hollowed out news and current affairs programs to explain.

Will Nine and Foxtel mount a big bid for the AFL rights from 2012 onwards? The AFL is quietly pushing for an early auction and contract for the new period, hopefully before June next year when PBL Media’s interest holiday runs out. Ten and Seven will bid together. The AFL believes that Nine’s financial state past June next year won’t allow it to bid.

The repeat of Inspector Rex with 375,000 viewers at 7.30pm on SBS last night, easily accounted for Mad Men on SBS at 8.30pm with 258,000.

TONIGHT: AFL, NRL on Nine, Seven and Foxtel at varying times. Silent Witness returns to the ABC at 8.30pm: once fanciful UK crime drama replacing an improbable one in Midsomer Murders. Seven has Better Homes and Gardens for those who want to escape the weather wherever you are. Ten has entertainment: MasterChef at 7pm, Law and Order and Simpsons. Seven and Nine also have movies in some markets and at different times.

SATURDAY: More AFL and NRL on Foxtel, and Ten. The ABC has New Tricks, Seven has The Vicar of Dibley and Kath & Kim (both repeats). Nine has Home Videos and then movie repeats. Ten has the AFL and movies in some markets. SBS as a sports quiz called The Squiz at 8.30pm that could be worth a dip.

SUNDAY: More AFL and NRL on Foxtel and Seven and Nine. Nine risks Home Made at 6.30pm against Seven’s Sunday Night and Ten’s Merlin. 60 Minutes at 7.30pm has a rundown completely at odds with contemporary events in Australia. The rundown reads like a slow night on a cross of Today Tonight and ACA. Nine also has CSI and CSI New York. Seven also has Border Security USA and The Force. Ten has MasterChef. Seven has Bones, Ten has Rove. Ten has Harpers Island, Seven has Castle. The ABC has the final Dirt Game episode at 8.30pm. SBS has Dateline at 8.30 pm. And don’t forget the Sunday morning chats.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports