Disappointing GF audiences for both AFL and NRL. Disappointment for both the AFL and NRL, and their broadcast partners, Nine and Ten, with audiences for the biggest matches of the season falling short of expectations. The one-sided AFL Grand Final was watched by an average 2.542 million people in the five major metro markets; the regional figures will be available tomorrow. That five city figure is the lowest AFL audience since the present ratings system started in 2001 and a massive 600,000 people, or nearly 20% lower, than the epic 2006 battle between West Coast and Sydney, which averaged 3.15 million people. It was a disappointing result for Ten and the AFL, who would have thought that with a Victorian team back in the grand final it would have seen a higher figure. But having Sydney in the final game of the season matters more: just 321,000 people watched the game in the Swans home town, compared to the 763,000 in 2006 and over 900,000 in 2005. The Melbourne audience of 1.214 million was solid enough. Despite the poor performance of Port, the Adelaide audience was 377,000 people, up 50,000 on last year’s telecast. The game drew an average audience of 385,000 in Perth and 270,000 in Brisbane. Last night’s NRL match was also down, with 2.389 million people watching the Melbourne Storm easily account for Manly. That was 163,000 down on 2006 game between the Storm and Brisbane — and was the lowest since 2004. The lower audience will not be greeted warmly at the NRL and Nine which had hoped the presence of a Sydney team would lift the number of viewers. It did in Sydney, where 913,000 people watched, up on 2006’s audience of 804,000. But a disappointing 723,000 people watched in Melbourne this year compared to the 903,000 who watched the Storm lose last year’s final. 568,000 people watched in Brisbane this year. The live broadcast to Adelaide (95,000) and Perth (89,000) wasn’t successful, but the NRL broadcast did help Nine win Melbourne on the night. The figures for both the AFL and NRL don’t reflect the hundreds of thousands of people watching in pubs and clubs across the country, or the extra people in homes. — Glenn Dyer

Surprise, surprise, Seven wins another week. The Seven Network had last week won after the success of Monday night’s Brownlow Medal count. Seven ended with a share of 30.0% (30.5%) from Nine with 26.8% (26.0%), Ten with 21.7% (22.0%), the ABC with 16.2% (16.4%) and SBS with 5.3% (5.2%). Seven won Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights. Nine won three nights as well: Sunday, Thursday and Saturday. Ten won Wednesday. Seven won every metro market. Ten’s AFL coverage did nothing for its ratings on Saturday night, especially in Melboure. Ten had nothing to grab viewers after the football finished. Nine will have won last night (Sunday) with the NRL, but faces a tough week: it won’t win Monday or Tuesday nights and will struggle over the other nights to beat Seven. — Glenn Dyer

Last night’s TV ratings
The Winners: Last night was dominated by the NRL Grand Final and although the audience was down, it does show the AFL, Ten and Seven, what a night game can do to the ratings. The AFL is well aware of the value of night games as the Geelong-Collingwoods game showed last weekend. Even a twilight final as a compromise would generate enormous buzz. NRL fans moan about the night final, but willingly turn up to watch night State of Origin games during the week. The grand final game on Nine averaged 2.389 million; the presentation after the game, 1.575 million and the entertainment from 6.30pm had 1.566 million. Nine News averaged 1.574 million and Seven News had 1.417 million. Seven’s 8.30pm movie called The Pacifier averaged 1.126 million, followed by Australian Idol (1.052 million) and Seven’s 6.30pm movie The Haunted Mansion 1.029 million. Rove averaged 805,000.

The Losers: No real losers last night, except the fans of the silvertails (Manly). Old habits die hard for many League fans: its why the TV audience was down: Manly was playing!

News & CA: Nine News won because of the League boost but there will be no more help for Seven or Nine on Fridays and Sundays from the footy this year. The 7pm ABC News averaged 870,000. Ten News had 705,000. SBS News had 237,000 at 6.30pm. In the morning, Weekend Sunrise, 442,000; Sunday, 252,000. Insiders on the ABC up to 213,000 and Offsiders, 208,000, its highest so far with its grand final wraps. Inside Business, 159,000. Meet The Press, 76,000 on Ten at 8am. Landline on the ABC at noon, 308,000.

The Stats: Nine won with a share of 40.7% (31.1%) from Seven with 23.3% (26.6%), Ten with 17.8% (22.9%), the ABC with 12.6% (13.2%) and SBS with 5.6%. Nine won Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but Seven won Adelaide and Perth. Normally Nine would win the week but it has weak nights tonight, tomorrow and Friday. The week could be close.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Winter is over and Seven, Nine and Ten are now without their football codes to help the ratings: its down to pure programming and Seven has a lot, but what about Ten and Nine? Well we will see once again tonight and tomorrow just how little firepower the Nine has at the moment. It’s the last 1 vs 100 for the year and probably forever, while RFDS also slides out of Mondays after tonight with Nine reverting to movies at 8.30pm next Monday. That will be underwhelming and a sign the network is just trying to conserve programming and keep costs low to get through to the end of ratings. Ten and Seven both turn programs around from the US this week: Ten returns House and the new US program, Life to Wednesdays and switches the Fifth Grader thing Rove is hosting, to 7.30pm. On Thursday Seven has Bionic Woman and Heroes. Nine ends Sea Patrol and brings back RPA Where Are They Now at 9.30pm. Tonight, besides 1 vs 100 and RFDS, Nine returns Weeds at 10.30pm and Girls of The Playboy Mansion at 11.10pm. Who cares? Why bother with marginal programming, its easy; the hard stuff is at 7.30pm where two indescribably dull clips and candid camera type shows (Commercial Breakdown at 7.30pm and Just For Laughs at 8pm) are being allowed to go to air. Mythbusters on SBS should account for both. Seven has Border Security, Medical Emergency and City Homicide, Ten has Idol, Law and Order (SVU) and Californication. The ABC has Four Corners on Mohamed Haneef and Enough Rope at 9.35pm.

Source: OzTAM, TV Network reports