Even ABC’s Midsomer Murders out-rated Seven’s Plate of Origin

How weak was Seven last night? 

The ABC’s main channel ended up second on the night in prime time behind Nine and in front of Seven. 

Seven is now almost at rock bottom as the ABC’s combination of the dull final episode of Shetland with 918,000 national viewers and the madness of killer bees on Midsomer Murders (773,000) easily accounted for anything Seven had to offer after 7pm. 

The shares were — Nine, 23.6%, the ABC, 16.5% and Seven, 15.8% with Ten’s main channel on 7.6%.

This is not to mark down the ABC’s offerings last night but the ratings shares were a reflection of just how far Seven has sunk with the weak Plate of Origin (661,000) and a retread/discard called Crime Investigations Australia (530,000) that started on Foxtel in 2005 and then got a run on Nine a few years later when it was weak. Now it’s doing the rounds on a struggling Seven.

Midsomer Murders’ storyline of bees, wax, honey and venom was silly as all get-out, but still more interesting than anything on Seven. If that can out-rate anything on Seven it tells us Seven has nothing left in the vault. It is nudging rock bottom.

Nine won with The Block — 1.36 million for the room reveal and 1.29 million for the rest for a show average of 1.36 million. A shadow of itself from a few years ago, but still better than anything else last night.

Many figures down on a week ago — Father’s Day influence perhaps? But with COVID-19 and Melbourne’s lockdown? Netflix or Stan.

Anyway, Nine was an easily winner from a very distant Seven with the ABC third and Ten a very distant fourth.

Insiders on ABC TV 611,000, down on a week ago but still good enough for tenth nationally for a fifth Sunday in a row.

In regional markets Seven News, 464,000; Nine/NBN News, 387,000; The Block — Room Reveal Winner, 377,000; 7pm ABC News, 376,000; The Block, 364,000.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (33.1%)
2. Seven (23.6%)
3. ABC (20.4%)
4. Ten (13.1%)
5. SBS (9.8%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (23.6%)
2. ABC (16.5%)
3. Seven (15.8%)
4. Ten (7.6%)
5. SBS ONE (6.3%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7mate, GO (3.9%)
2. 10 Bold (3.7%)
3. Gem (2.6%)
4. ABC Kids/Comedy (2.1%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.53 million
2. Nine/NBN News — 1.43 million
3. The Block — Room Reveal Winner (Nine) — 1.36 million
4. The Block (Nine) — 1.29 million
5. 7pm ABC News — 1.21 million
6. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 926,000
7. Shetland (ABC) — 918,000
8. Midsomer Murders (ABC) — 773,000
9. Plate Of Origin (Seven) — 661,000
10. Insiders (ABC, ABC News) — 611,000

Top metro programs:

1. Nine News — 1.04 million
2. Seven News — 1.04 million

Losers: Seven and Ten — just weak

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Nine News — 1.04 million
2. Seven News — 1.04 million
3. 7pm ABC News – 829,000
4. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 622,000
5. The Sunday Project 7pm (Ten) — 424,000
6. The Sunday Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 272,000
7. Ten News First — 260,000
8. SBS World News — 146,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Insiders (ABC, ABC News ) — 611,000
2. Landline (ABC) — 487,000
3. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) – 455,000
4. Weekend Today (Nine) – 302,000
5. Offsiders (ABC), Sports Sunday (Nine) — 221,000

Top five pay TV programs: 

1. NRL: Warriors v Parramatta (Fox League) — 237,000
2. AFL: Geelong v Essendon (Fox Footy) — 222,000
3. NRL: North Qld. v St George (Fox League) — 207,000
4. AFL: Footscray v West Coast (Fox Footy) — 190,000
5. AFL: St Kilda v Hawthorn (Fox Footy) — 168,000