Dancing With The Stars debut fails to dazzle

Married at First Sight (1.49 million) meant Sunday night was Nine’s, helped by 60 Minutes (977,000 nationally) which is looking more outdated every week and year. 

Midsomer Murders returned to the ABC with the first of two eps (872,000 nationally), after Grand Designs with 883,000. That plus 1.12 million for the 7pm ABC News, on a very damp night in southern Queensland and much of NSW, was enough to nudge Ten back to fourth overall and in the main channels.

The start of the 2020 season of Dancing With The Stars on Ten (804,000) was overshadowed by the ABC’s solid programming. Seven’s My Kitchen Rules edged up to 730,000 and 10th spot nationally, but was beaten by the ABC from 7pm to 8.30pm and the remake of Dancing With The Stars on Ten. Another losing week for Seven.

In the morning, Insiders with David Speers built on the solid debut a week earlier with 619,000 nationally — 3000 more than the previous week. The Bushfire Cricket Bash on Seven from the MCG averaged 878,000. In regional markets, it was Seven News with 520,000, MAFS with 402,000, the 7pm ABC News with 375,000, Nine/NBN News with 346,000 and the Bushfire Bash charity game with 302,000.

Network channel share

1. Nine (32.1%)
2. Seven (24.8%)
3. ABC (18.9%)
4. Ten (18.3%)
5. SBS (5.9%)

Network main channels

1. Nine (23.9%)
2. Seven (16.8%)
3. ABC (14.5%)
4. Ten (12.7%)
5. SBS (3.8%)

Top five digital channels

1. GO (4.1%)
2. 7mate (3.5%)
3. 10 Bold (3.4%)
4. 7TWO (2.4%)
5. Gem, ABC Kids/Comedy (2.2%)

Top 10 national programs

1. Seven News — 1.603 million 
2. MAFS (Nine) —1.493 million
3. Nine/NBN News   — 1.305 million
4. 7pm ABC News — 1.125 million
5. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 977,000
6. Grand Designs (ABC) —883,000
7. Bushfire Bash Charity T-10 game (Seven) — 878,000
8. Midsomer Murders (ABC) — 872,000
9. Dancing With The Stars (Ten) — 804,000
10. MKR (Seven) — 730,000

Top metro programs: 

1. MAFS (Nine) — 1.091 million
2. Seven News   — 1.083 million

Metro news and current affairs

1. Seven News —1.083 million
2. Nine News   — 959,000
3. 7pm ABC News — 750,000
4. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 688,000
5. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 378,000
6. Ten News First — 350,000
7. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 227,000
8. SBS World News  — 168,000

Morning (national) TV

1. Insiders (ABC. ABC News) — 617,000
2. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) — 524,000
3. Landline (ABC) — Pre-empted by golf!
4. Weekend Today (Nine) — 307,000 
5. Offsiders (ABC) — 232,000

Top five pay TV programs

1. Cricket: Bushfire Bash Charity Game (Fox Cricket) —211,000
2. The Cricket Tragic (Fox Cricket) — 78,000
3. Cricket: Women’s T-20 Tri-Series, Australia v England (Fox Cricket) — 77,000
4. Outsiders (Sky News) — 62,000
5. Outsiders (Sky News) — 58,000