Nine’s night in the metros and Seven’s in the regions. Despite that it was nothing to boast about. The top five programs nationally were all news and current affairs offerings which means that other programs, such as Gotham on Nine, The Big Adventure on Seven and Modern Family, Scorpion and NCIS New Orleans were not good enough to hold viewers. I get a feeling that more and more viewers have tuned out for 2014.

The first episode of Gotham had 8.30pm made the top 10 national programs with 867,000 viewers but could only manage 527,000 metro viewers, which is not enough, even in these days of audience fragmentation. The second episode of Gotham at 9.30pm could only manage 578,000 national viewers. Seven’s expensive and floppy looking The Big Adventure made it to eighth most watched nationally with 1.032 million viewers, but that was nothing to boast about either, with its 597,000 metro viewers was light on as well. The same could be said for Ten’s NCIS New Orleans with 820,000 national viewers at 8.30pm and Scorpion (at 6.30pm) with 822,000 national viewers. Both had less than 600,000 metro viewers. Seven’s brief hit of 2013, Resurrection is now propping up the end of Sunday nights — the first episode at 9pm had 619,000 metro viewers and the second episode at 10pm could only manage 501,000.

Seven last night switched Sunday Night to 6.30pm from the originally scheduled 8pm and pushed The Big Adventure back to 8pm from 6.30pm. And next Sunday its at 7.30pm, which will be a big test.

The win by the Western Sydney Wanderers in the AFC League in Saudi Arabia was watched by 53,000 people on Fox Sports from 4.30 to 6.30am, while the after match presentation and celebration was watched by 63,000 from 6.30 to 7am. I wonder how many would have watched on free to air? Many more, I would guess. 

The ABC has commissioned a second series of Reality Check for 2015 (which is a bit odd seeing it didn’t rate its socks off). But good news for fans of Gruen — it’s back at the end of next year, according to current planning. That’s to be welcomed. So will Ten exec and Recipe To Riches judge Russel Howcroft return to his Gruen stamping ground?

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.0%)
  2. Seven (27.3%)
  3. Ten (20.2%)
  4. ABC (18.4%)
  5. SBS (12.2%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (20.8%)
  2. Seven (17.3%)
  3. ABC 1
  4. Ten (12.2%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.2%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (5.6%)
  2. 7mate (4.4%)
  3. Eleven (4.3%
  4. GO (4.1%)
  5. ONE (3.8%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.773 million
  2. Nine News — 1.614 million
  3. Seven News — 1.490 million
  4. Sunday Night (Seven) — 1.469 million
  5. ABC News — 1.297 million
  6. The Embassy (Nine) — 1.194 million
  7. The Big Adventure (Seven) — 1.032 million
  8. Modern Family (Ten) — 968,000
  9. Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond (ABC) — 873,000
  10. Gotham episode 1 (Nine) — 867,000

Top metro programs:

  1. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.174 million
  2. Nine News — 1.121 million

Losers: Gotham, in the departure lounge for Nine. Scorpion, not quite there for Ten.  Resurrection, a dud for Seven. So much for the fast-tracked US shows.Metro news and current affairs:

  1. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.174 million
  2. Nine News — 1.121 million
  3. Seven News — 983,000
  4. Sunday Night (Seven) — 887,000
  5. ABC  News — 862,000
  6. Ten Eyewitness News – 369,000
  7. SBS World News — 134,000

Morning TV:

  1. Insiders (ABC  216,000 + 108,000 on News 24) — 324,000
  2. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) – 305,000
  3. Landline (ABC) — 291,000
  4. Weekend Today (Nine) – 237,000
  5. Offsiders (ABC) — 138,000
  6. The Bolt Report (Ten) — 131,000
  7. Financial Review Sunday (Nine) — 130,000
  8. The Bolt Report repeat (Ten) — 84,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox Sports 2  (3,7%)
  2. Fox Sports 1 (3.4%)
  3. Fox8 (2.9%)
  4. TVHITS  (2.4%)
  5. LifeStyle  (2.3%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Cricket: 2nd Test Pakistan v Australia (Fox Sports 2) – 107,000
  2. Midsomer Murders (UKTV) – 93,000
  3. EP: Manchester City v Manchester United (Fox Sports 1) – 88,000
  4. A League: Sydney v Central Coast (Fox Sports 1) — 87,000
  5. Cricket: Lunch Break Show(Fox Sports 2) – 84,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people.) and network reports.