All games and no fun over on Seven

No Married at First Sight last night, so Seven’s games coverage, plus the news (1.38 million average for the 6 to 7pm hour) and Home and Away (800,000 nationally) easily won the night.

The games broadcast is soulless — even the spectator-less Summer Olympics last year in Tokyo generated more passion and involvement. The evening part of Seven’s coverage averaged 745,000, the night bit, 730,000 and the late, 595,000. Lower, but it was a low viewing Thursday anyway.

Q+A returned to the ABC (374,000 nationally), along with Foreign Correspondent, 446,000. The big news, however, was the retirement of Leigh Sales from the hosting slot at 7.30 –as well as the retirement of ABC News Sydney weather man of 14 years, Graham Creed who is retiring to become a farmer just north of the Hunter Valley. Both will be missed by viewers.

Regional top five: Seven News, 477,000; Seven News 6.30, 460,000; Home and Away, 308,000; Home and Away — Late, 287,000; Nine News 6.30, 285,000.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (35.4%)
2. Nine (27.8%)
3. ABC (15.4%)
4. Ten (13.7%)
5. SBS (7.7%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (25.6%)
2. Nine (19.0%)
3. ABC 10.5%)
4. Ten (8.0%)
5. SBS ONE (3.8%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7mate (3.9%)
2. 7TWO (3.7%)
3. Gem (2.9%)
4. 10 Peach (2.7%)
5. 10 Bold, ABC Kids/TV Plus (2.5%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.39 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.38 million
3. Nine News — 1.08 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.03 million
5. 7pm ABC News — 858,000
6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 800,000
7. Home and Away (Seven) — 780,000
8. Winter Olympic Games — Evening 6 (Seven) — 745,000
9. Winter Olympic Games — Night 6 (Seven) — 730,000
10. 7.30 (ABC) — 689,000

Losers — Viewers of 7.30 when Leigh Sales steps down.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News 6.30 — 932,000
2. Seven News — 893,000
3. Nine News — 793,000
4. Nine News 6.30 — 763,000
5. 7pm ABC News — 588,000
6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 530,000
7. 7.30 — Summer (ABC) — 453,000
8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 306,000
9. 10 News First — 260,000
10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 200,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 434,000/257,000
2. Today (Nine) — 321,000/220,000
3. ABC News Breakfast (ABC) — 280,000/194,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) —206,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) — 165,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 35,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. The Great Australian Bake-Off (LifeStyle) — 61,000
2. Credlin (Sky News) — 56,000
3. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 52,000
4. Gold Rush (Discovery) — 48,000
5. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 46,000