Tom Gleeson hard quiz TV ratings
(Image: ABC)

While Nine won narrowly from Seven, with the ABC again third and Ten a weak fourth, it was the ABC’s performance in the heart of prime time last night that stood out.

From 7pm to 9.30pm the national broadcaster easily beat the better-resourced commercial networks. The 7pm ABC news with 1.23 million topped A Current Affair and Home and Away. 7.30 with 1.02 million won its slot easily, Hard Quiz with 1.06 million likewise at 8pm (and was the most watched non-news program of the night).

At 8.30pm Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell returned with a solid 964,000 and Rosehaven at 9pm won its slot with 702,000.

That was quite an impressive performance for a network with nowhere near the resources of Seven, Nine and Ten. Ten is at least trying, Seven and Nine are now running dead because they have spent too much on programs like Australian Ninja Warrior, The Voice, My Kitchen Rule and House Rules.

Ten lagged as Bachelor in Paradise averaged 638,000. Nine won because its post-7.30pm performance was better than Seven’s. Take out the 6pm to 7pm news hours where Seven and Nine again did well and the ABC won the night.

On Foxtel, the two AFL games again dominated the night with 251,000 watching Melboring beat Adelaide and 176,000 watching Geelong beat North Melbourne. The flurry of AFL games is actually a huge gift to Foxtel and Fox Sports because it has boosted its midweek viewing. Seven’s boost starts tonight.

In breakfast Sunrise, 492,000 national and 281,000 metro viewers, ABC News Breakfast, 330/228,000, Today, 308,000 and 214,000.

In regional markets Seven News, 637,000, Seven News 6.30, 593,000, 7pm ABC news, 395,000, Home and Away, 381,000, The Chase Australia, 5.30pm, 356,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (27.3%)
  2. Seven (26.5%)
  3. ABC (19.1%)
  4. Ten (18.2%)
  5. SBS (9.0%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (19.0%)
  2. Seven (18.8%)
  3. ABC (14.3%)
  4. Ten (11.4%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.6%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 10 Bold (4.7%)
  2. 7TWO (3.1%)
  3. 7mate (2.8%)
  4. Gem (2.7%)
  5. GO, ABC Kids/Comedy (2.4%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.83 million
  2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.72 million
  3. Nine/NBN News — 1.39 million
  4. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.32 million
  5. 7pm ABC News — 1.23 million
  6. Hard Quiz (ABC) — 1.06 million
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 1.02 million
  8. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.01 million
  9. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.00 million
  10. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 967,000

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.19 million
  2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.12 million
  3. Nine/NBN News — 1.10 million

Losers: Story of the week: Ten, Seven again: both should be doing better.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.19 million
  2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.12 million
  3. Nine/NBN News — 1.10 million
  4. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 998,000
  5. 7pm ABC News – 835,000
  6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 725,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 7693,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 567,000
  9. Nine News Late — 461,000
  10. Ten News First — 446,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) — 492,000/281,000
  2. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 343,000/235,000
  3. Today (Nine) – 308,000/214,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 248,000 
  5. Today Extra (Nine) – 182,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 82,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: Post Game (Fox Footy) — 251,000
  2. AFL: Geelong v North Melbourne (Fox Footy) — 176,000
  3. Paul Murray Live (Sky News ) — 77,000
  4. The Bolt Report (Sky News); AFL: Post Game (Fox Footy) – 75,000