Is the great 2020 news surge over?

A big night for Nine thanks to MAFS (1.52 million) and solid figures for the news and A Current Affair. Likewise for the ABC — especially Australian Story, Four Corners and Media Watch, which all had more than a million national viewers.

Ten ended the reheated Australian Survivor All Stars with 1.2 million national viewers for the winner’s announcement and 1.1 million for the lead up. That helped Ten finish second behind Nine in total people and the main channels, leaving Seven in fourth spot after the ABC. Not Seven’s year.

The great COVID-19 news boost has ended with figures for last night showing little or no growth on a week ago. The gains on the week before were in the tens of thousands (and the losses as well) rather than in the hundreds of thousands. That’s not to say viewing isn’t at highs not seen for five years, or record levels for some programs. It is. 

Breakfast and mornings were again solid. Ten’s Studio 10 finally got a big lift to its highest ever national figure of 121,000. Seven’s The Morning Show was way out in front with 409,000 (thanks to the 600,000-plus for Sunrise). Nine’s Today Extra lifted to 282,000 with Today on 418,000. ABC News Breakfast had 406,000 in another strong performance.

Over 1.4 million watched the four breakfast programs and counting ABC News from 9am (383,000), around 1.2 million people were watching free to air TV from 9 am to around 11 am. Those figures and near or new highs for that time of the day. With so many people now unemployed and at home, it’s no wonder.

In the regions Seven News had 727,000 viewers, Seven News 6.30 had 680,000, the 7pm ABC News had 416,000, MAFS had 401,000, and The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 400,000.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (30.2%)
2. Ten (22.0%)
3. ABC (21.1%)
4. Seven (20.6%)
5. SBS (6.1%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (22.4%)
2. Ten (16.6%)
3. ABC (16.1%)
4. Seven (14.4%)
5. SBS ONE (3.6%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. Gem (3.4%)
2. 10 Bold (3.3%)
3. 7TWO (2.9%)
4. ABC News, ABC Kids/Comedy (2.2%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News— 1.991 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.922 million 
3. Nine/NBN News   — 1.558 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.554 million
5. MAFS (Nine) — 1.554 million
6. 7pm ABC News — 1.384 million
7. ACA (Nine) — 1.279 million
8. Australian Survivor All Stars – Winner Announced (Ten) — 1.217 million
9. 7.30 (ABC) — 1.203 million
10. Australian Survivor All Stars – Finale (Ten) — 1.153 million

Top metro programs: 

1. Seven News — 1.263 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.243 million
3. Nine News  — 1.214 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.176 million
5. MAFS — 1.122 million

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 1.263 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.243 million
3. Nine News  — 1.214 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.176 million
5. ABC News — 978,000
6. ACA (Nine) —935,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 842,000
8. Media Watch (ABC) — 766,000
9. Four Corners (ABC) — 761,000
10. Australian Story (ABC) — 691,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Sunrise: National: 607,000, Metro: 376,000 
2. Today: National: 418,000, Metro: 284,000 
3. The Morning Show (Seven) —409,000
4. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) —406,000/278,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) —282,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 121,000

Top five pay TV programs: n/a

1. Paul Murray Live (Sky News — 85,000
2. Outlander (Fox One) — 73,000
3. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 66,000
4. Credlin (Sky News) — 61,000
5. Afternoon Agenda (Sky News) — 60,000