Nine works as hard as players to make the Open a success

Now for a bit of wish and hope TV from the Nine Network as it and its Fairfax PR rags try to turn the Australian Open tennis into something exciting — and mostly Australian-less. And if Djokovic or Nadal happen to lose, it will end up a ratings debacle. Still, it was nice to see wins from younger Australians Jason Kubler, Rinky Hijikata and Olivia Gadecki, and veteran John Millman also won on the first day.

The first night of the Open (476,000 nationally) wasn’t enough to push Nine home in prime time over Seven despite just topping to the latter’s Big Bash game (442,000). Ten’s latest ep of The Bachelors Australia lifted to its best figures so far — 420,000 — anything but the tennis or BB?

Network channel share:

1. Seven (30.0%)
2. Nine (28.5%)
3. ABC (17.0%)
4. Ten (16.6%)
5. SBS (7.9%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (18.7%)
2. Nine (17.8%)
3. ABC ONE (12.0%)
4. Ten (9.1%)
5. SBS (3.4%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7TWO (4.7%)
2. Gem (3.9%)
3. 10 Bold (3.4%)
4. 7mate (3.3%)
5. GO (3.0%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News, Seven News 6.30 — 1.357 million
2. Nine News  6.30 —- 844,000
3. 7pm ABC News  — 826,000
4. Nine News  — 801,000
5. Home and Away (Seven) — 738,000
6. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (R, Seven) — 726,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 640,000
8. Back Roads (ABC) — 556,000
9. Australian Open Tennis D1 Night (Nine) — 426,000

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

Regional Top 5: Seven News, 464,000; Seven News 6.30, 463,000; Home and Away (return), 274,000; 7pm ABC News, 265,000; The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 249,000.

Losers: Dull night and unwatchable if you are not a sports nut.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News   — 894,000
2. Seven News 6.30 — 893,000
3. Nine News 6.30 — 642,000
4. Nine News — 606,000
5. 7pm ABC News — 560,000
6. 7.30 (ABC) — 477,000
7. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 283,000
8. Ten News First  — 266,000
9. The Project 6.30pm — 181,000
10. SBS World News — 149,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 347,000/204,000
2. Today (Nine) — 262,000/165,000
3. ABC News Breakfast 230,000/142,000
4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 217,000
5. ABC News Mornings — 231,000
6. Today Extra (Nine) —n/a
7. Studio 10 (Ten) — 37,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. Cricket: BBL (Fox Cricket) — 172,000
2. Cricket: BBL (Fox Cricket) — 167,000
3. Cricket: BBL, Post Game (Fox Cricket) — 154,000
4. Cricket: BBL, Big Break (Fox Cricket) — 148,000
5. Cricket: B4 The Bash (Fox Cricket), The Last Of Us (Fox Showcase) — 618,000