The ABC stands out, thanks to old reliables and good reporting

Test cricket, day one: two sessions of play, one of rain. The two sessions averaged 536,000 on Seven and 201,000 on Foxtel.

Hard Quiz was the most watched non-news and current affairs program with 749,000, followed by Gruen with 693,000. Nice summer numbers for the ABC, which also offered solid journalism on 7.30 with the 20-minute Maddie Groves interview, which attracted 684,000. A good presentation, and all those print and TV sports journos who wrote thousands of words about why she pulled out of the Olympic trials were forced to watch an interview — done in London — with the sort of detail that showed up the flat-footed Australian-based writers.

In the end. boredom won the night from Seven, Nine, Ten and the ABC.

Regional top five: Seven News 6.30, 464,000; Seven News, 463,000; Nine News, 335,000; Nine News 6.30, 323,000; ACA, 320,000.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (298%)
2. Nine (27.9%)
3. Ten (17.7%)
4. ABC (16.2%)
5. SBS (8.3%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (21.5%)
2. Nine (19.3%)
3. ABC (11.9%)
4. Ten (9.9%)
5. SBS ONE (4.3%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 10 Peach (4.2%)
2. 7TWO (3.6%)
3. GO (3.5%)
4. 10 Bold (3.2%)
5. 7mate (3.2%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.367 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.319 million
3. Nine News — 1.224 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.141 million
5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.038 million
6. 7pm ABC News — 827,000
7. Hard Quiz (ABC) — 749,000
8. Cricket: first Ashes Test, day one, tea (Seven) — 731,000
9. Gruen (ABC) — 693,000
10. Cricket: first Ashes Test, day one, S2 (Seven) — 686,000

Top metro programs: none with a million or more viewers.

Losers: summer deepens and the viewers depart.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News  — 899,000
2. Seven News  6.30 — 889,000
3. Nine News  — 855,000
4. Nine News 6.30 — 817,000
5. ACA (Nine) — 654,000
6. 7pm ABC News —  534,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 445,000
8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 350,000
9. Ten News First  — 309,000
10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 259,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 406,000/239,000
2. Today (Nine) — 323,000/215,000
3. News Breakfast (ABC) — 275,000/168,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) — Pre-empted
5. Today Extra (Nine) — 156,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) —  34,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. Cricket: first Ashes Test, day one, innings (Fox Cricket) — 213,000
2. Cricket: first Ashes Test, day one (Fox Cricket) — 191,000
3. Cricket: first Ashes Test, day one, tea (Fox Cricket) — 183,000
4. Cricket: BBL: Innings (Fox Cricket) — 176,000
5. Cricket: BBL: Between the Innings (Fox Cricket) — 173,000