NRL charges back in. Can it keep up the pressure?

Now, on paper it looked like a four-SVOD night last night, with only MasterChef (1.24 million and the most watched non-news, non-NRL program) to break the snoredom. That and the first NRL game of the restarted season, if only for a quick dip to see if the thugbuggery was back as well.

Well a bit was, but one particular rule change (a restarted tackle count instead of a penalty) turned the game into fast-moving entertainment. So it ended up a three-SVOD night.

So far as viewers are concerned the game did well — 952,000 nationally with 619,000 in the metros and 333,000 in the regions. Compared to the first game of the year back on March 12, it was a leap of 272,000 viewers. A further 355,000 watched on Foxtel, which was higher than the 242,000 who watched the first game on pay TV in March.

Tonight its Souths v Easts and the rule change could see another entertaining game instead of the usual boring highly structured affair (the change is a bit like the play-on option for umpires in the AFL).

ABC News Breakfast (319,000 national and 205,000 metro) was ahead of Today (294,000/203,000) but behind Sunrise (486,000/286,000). In the regions it was Seven News on 629,000, Seven News 6.30, 573,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 415,000, 7pm ABC News, 373,000, Home and Away 341,000

Network channel share:

1. Nine (30.3%)
2. Seven (23.6%)
3. Ten (22.1%)
4. ABC (15.2%)
5. SBS (8.8%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (21.8%)
2. Ten (16.2%)
3. Seven (15.7%)
4. ABC (10.5%)
5. SBS ONE (5.1%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7TWO (3.7%)
2. 10 Bold (3.5%)
3. Gem (2.9%)
4. Nine Life, 10 Peach (2.4%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News —1.731 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.601 million
3. Nine/NBN News — 1.391 million
4. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.350 million
5. MCA (Ten) — 1.241 million
6. 7pm ABC News— 1.174 million
7. ACA (Nine) —1.043 million
8. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 1.030 million
9. NRL (Nine) — 952,000
10. Home and Away (Seven) — 865,000

Top metro programs:

1. Seven News — 1.102 million
2. Nine News — 1.063 million
3. Seven News 6.30 — 1.061 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.011 million

Losers: Except for MasterChef and the return of the NRL it was a Netflix/Stan etc night.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 1.102 million
2. Nine News — 1.063 million
3. Seven News 6.30 — 1.061 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.011 million
5. 7pm ABC News — 801,000
6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 735,000
7. 7.30 (ABC)— 575,000
8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 559,000
9. Ten News First — 342,000
10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 366,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 486,000/286,000
2. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 319,000/205,000
3. Today (Nine) — 294,000/203,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 233,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) — 141,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 85,000

Top five pay TV programs:

1. NRL: Parramatta v Brisbane (Fox League) — 355,000
2. NRL: Pre-Game (Fox League ) — 126,000
3. The Late Show With Matty Johns (Fox League) — 92,000
4. Aussie Gold Hunters (Discovery) — 88,000
5. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 79,000