When The Chase is better than prime time, you know you’re in trouble

There was nothing to glean from last night’s TV ratings except that Nine won and did well in the demos. But as far as entertainment is concerned, the test pattern would have given the night a good run for our eyeballs.

Seven quiz show The Chase Australia was a high top 10 program, sixth overall with more viewers than A Current Affair, Home and Away, 7.30, Home Delivery, The Weekly, etc. It’s not even in prime time, underlining the barrenness of last night’s prime time offerings.

In the morning there was some action — ABC News Breakfast (weak recently because of host Michael Rowland’s absence) perked up while the Today showed lapsed back into the old, bad ways of pre-COVID-19.

Sunrise won again with 456,000 national and 312,000 metro (a week ago it was 513,000/320,000), ABC News Breakfast jumped to 329,000/225,000 (from 318,000/211,000) as viewers settled, and Today fell — especially in metro markets — to 301,000/187,000 (from 314,000/211,000).

In the regions: Seven News, 658,000, Seven News 6.30, 616,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 423,000, Home and Away, 390,000, and the 7pm ABC News, 367,00

Network channel share:

1. Nine (28.7%)
2. Seven (w26.2%)
3. Ten  (20.0%)
4. ABC (16.1%)
5. SBS (9.0%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (19.5%)
2. Seven (18.4%)
3. Ten (14.0%)
4. ABC (11.0%)
5. SBS ONE (5.5%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 10 Bold (3.8%)
2. GO, 7mate (3.4%)
3. 7TWO (3.0%)
4. ABC Kids/Comedy (2.6%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.812 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.712 million
3. Nine/NBN News — 1.3957 million
4. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.286 million
5. 7pm ABC News — 1.167 million
6. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 1.075 million
7. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.036 million
8. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.033 million
9. 7.30 (ABC) — 943,000
10. Hot Seat (Nine) — 785,000

Top metro programs:

1. Seven News– 1.168 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.108 million
3. Nine News — 1.072 million

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News– 1.168 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.108 million
3. Nine News — 1.072 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 953,000
5. 7pm ABC News — 815,000
6. A Current Affair (Nine) —706,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 661,000
8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 490,000
9. Ten News First — 387,000
10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 330,000

Morning (National) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 465,000/312,000
2. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 329,000/225,000
3. Today (Nine) — 301,000/187,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 229,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) — 158,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 75,000

Top five pay TV programs:

1. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 92,000
2. Alan Jones (Sky News) — 91,000
3. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 76,000
4. Credlin (Sky News) — 67,000
5. PML Later  (Sky News)  — 54,000