Mixed results from this sporting night

It was mixed news from the Big Bash (Seven), the Australian Open tennis (Nine) and I’m A Celebrity on Ten. Starting with the latter: the lead up averaged 954,000, the elimination, 909,000. A worrying drop of 45, 000 — at this stage in a genre like this, audiences should be clamouring for the elimination.

The Australian Open on Nine saw 245,000 fewer people tune in across the night — 739,000 nationally, against 984,000 on Tuesday night. Serena Williams and Roger Federer were the draw cards last night, while Ash Barty played around 1.30pm. You’d have to ask why, given she’s the world number one and Williams isn’t. 

And while the Big Bash lifted from Tuesday night — session two of the Adelaide v Melbourne Stars game averaged a lowish 752,000, while session one averaged 683,000. Not quite enough (and on ground crowds are down sharply this year).

In regional areas it was Seven’s 6pm News with 500,000, Seven News 6.30 with 464,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm with 313,000, 7pm ABC News 298,000 and Big Bash: Adelaide v Melbourne Stars Session 2, 267,000.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (29.0%)
2. Seven (26.1%)
3. Ten (22.3%)
4. ABC (13.6%)
5. SBS (8.9%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (22.2%)
2. Nine (17.4%)
3. Ten (13.9%)
4. ABC (8.3%)
5. SBS ONE (4.6%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 10 Bold (5.6%)
2. 7TWO (3.6%)
3. GEM (3.0%)
4. 7mate, ABC Kids/Comedy (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News  — 1.433 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.271 million *
3. Nine/NBN News 6.30    — 1.054 million
4. Nine/NBN News  — 996,000
5. I’m A Celebrity – (Ten) — 954,000
6. 7pm ABC News — 918,000
7. I’m A Celebrity – Elimination – (Ten) — 909,000
8. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 850,000
9. Big Bash: Adelaide v Melbourne Stars Session 2 (Seven) — 752,000
10. Australian Open Tennis Day 3, Night (Nine) — 739,000

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News —939,000
2. Seven News  6.30*, Nine News 6.30 —806,000
3. Nine News  — 763,000
4. 7pm ABC News — 617,000
5. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 517,000
6. Ten News First — 402,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) —401,000
8. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 318,000
9. SBS World News — 118,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Sunrise: National: 442,000, Metro: 266,000 
2. Today: National: 288,000, Metro: 192,000 
3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 237,000
4. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 233,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) —pre-empted by the Today’s tennis coverage
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 75,000

Top five pay TV programs:

1. BBL: Strikers v Stars (Fox Cricket) — 191,000
2. BBL: Innings Break (Fox Cricket) — 185,000
3. BBL: Melbourne, Hobart (Fox Cricket) — 169,000
4. BBL: Post Game (Fox Cricket) — 96,000
5. Love It or List it Australia (LifeStyle) — 50,000