History is mostly ignored in TV, especially if it shows the network or its programs in a poor light. Take yesterday and the performances of The Block for Nine — it topped the most watched lists last night and gave the network an easy win — and The Bathurst 1,000, which dominated the day up to just after 5pm for Ten.

But the unacknowledged news from Nine and Ten is that, compared to a year ago, audiences for both were lower, with those of The Block off by a massive 710,000 — from 2.28 million down to 1.57 million. Just going off this massive fall, the audience is quite cool to the 2018 program and its dynamics. Still, a win is a win, and Nine, helped by 60 Minutes (1.01 million) dominated primetime.

The Bathurst 1,000 averaged 1.42 million a year ago, with the race’s Podium and Wrap Up segments averaging 1.97 million and 2.05 million respectively. Yesterday, the top rated part of the coverage had 1.275 million national viewers, the Podium segment averaged 1.13 million and the Wrap Up averaged 969,000 — a massive 1.07 million viewers fewer than a year ago.

But for Ten there was no “halo” or hangover of viewers, as the 7pm part of The Project  earned 865,000 viewers. After that, Ten’s audience vanished (the new Game of Games game show averaged 776,000 and will go lower next week — it is a confusing dud). The network was fourth after the ABC which ended Rake (650,000). Seven started All Together Now — 1.16 million for a noisy, colourful, but not very talented singing show that has a cast as big as Ben Hur. The new Doctor Who starts later today at 5.55pm on the ABC. 

In regional markets, The Bathurst 1,000 was tops with 529,000, the post-race Podium segment was next with 476,000, the Seven 6pm News had 452,000, The Block had 440,000 and the Bathurst 1,000 Wrap Up had 400,000. 

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (32.4%)
  2. Seven (27.9%)
  3. ABC (17.4%)
  4. Ten (16.8%)
  5. SBS (5.5%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (23.1%)
  2. Seven (19.1%)
  3. ABC (13.1%)
  4. Ten (11.9%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.2%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (3.8%)
  2. 7TWO (3.3%)
  3. Gem, 7mate (3.2%)
  4. ONE (2.7%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) — 1.579 million 
  2. Seven News — 1.394 million
  3. Bathurst 1,000 (Ten)  — 1.275 million
  4. All Together Now (Seven) — 1.167 million
  5. Nine/NBN News — 1.145 million
  6. Bathurst 1,000 Podium (Ten) — 1.139 million
  7. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.108 million
  8. Bathurst Wrap up (Ten) — 969,000
  9. The Sunday Project 7pm (Ten) — 865,000
  10. Bathurst 1,000 Final Countdown (Ten) — 837,000

ABC News data unavailable

Top metro programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) — 1.139 million

Losers: Ten’s audience dropped away after 7.30pm, The Block lost ground on a year ago.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1.  Seven News — 942,000
  2. Nine News— 842,000
  3.  60 Minutes (Nine) — 663,000
  4. The Sunday Project 7pm (Ten) — 499,000
  5. Ten Eyewitness News — 496,000
  6. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 455,000
  7. SBS World News — 126,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Insiders (ABC) — 484,000
  2. Landline (ABC) 363,000
  3. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) — 310,000
  4. Weekend Today (Nine) — 252,000
  5. Offsiders (ABC) — 187,000
  6. Sports Sunday (Nine) — 125,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Bathurst 1,000 (Fox Sports) — 387,000
  2. Bathurst 1,000 (Fox Sports) — 259,000
  3. Bathurst 1,000 (Fox Sports) — 159,000
  4. Bathurst 1,000 Trackside (Fox Sports) — 170,000
  5. Bathurst 1,000 Supports (Fox Sports) — 144,000