Every day, Today drifts further from the top

How long can this drift continue? For all the continuing ratings success of MAFS, (1.63 million nationally last night, another clear win), Nine continues to bleed at breakfast. The Today show’s 168,000 metro audience yesterday was the lowest since January 3, 2005 and the 149th lowest show on record. Sunrise had 287,000, 119,000 ahead of Today. 

Ten debuted Dancing With The Stars (855,000 nationally) in what it greeted as a triumph but looked more like an exhumation, not a resurrection. Seven’s MKR’s solid run ran out of steam as the national audience fell to 1.09 million. Australian Story returned to the ABC with 954,000 and a top 10 national finish. Home and Away finally appeared at 7pm for 2019 and first up averaged 1 million.

In the regions it was Seven’s 6pm News with 525,000, Seven News/Today Tonight with 519,000, MAFS with 433,000, MKR with 399,000 and Home and Away with 389,000. All had more viewers than Today.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (31.7%)
2. Seven (27.0%)
3. Ten (18.4%)
4. ABC (17.9%)
5. SBS (4.9%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (25.3%)
2. Seven (18.1%)
3. ABC (14.3%)
4. Ten (12.9%)
5. SBS ONE (3.4%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 10 Bold (3.8%)
2. 7mate (3.6%)
3. 7TWO, 9Life (3.5%)
4. GO (3.4%)
5. ABC Kids/Comedy (2.2%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. MAFS (Nine) — 1.639 million
2. Seven News — 1.537 million
3. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.500 million
4. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.232 million
5. Nine/NBN News — 1.228 million
6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.205 million
7. MKR (Seven) — 1.099 million
8. 7pm ABC News — 1.051 million
9. Home And Away (Seven) — 1.009 million
10. Australian Story (ABC) — 954,000

Top metro programs:

1. MAFS (Nine) — 1.205 million
2. Seven News — 1.013 million

Losers: Today, Nine News; Instant Hotel on Seven.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 1.013 million
2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 982,000
3. Nine News— 928,000
4. Nine News 6.30 —925,000
5. ACA (Nine) — 873,000
6. 7pm ABC News —727,000
7. Australian Story (ABC) — 648,000
8. 7.30 (ABC) — 632,000
9. Four Corners, Media Watch (ABC) — 568,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 461,000 (287,000)
2. Today (Nine) — 258,000 (168,000)
3. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 231,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 213,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) — 124,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 85,000

Top five pay TV programs:

1. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 56,000
2. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 45,000
3. Family Guy (Fox8) — 44,000
4. PML Later (Sky News) —41,000
5. Yes, Prime Minister (Fox Classics) — 41,000