Sunday night goes to the dogs

And the winner on Sunday night prime time TV was (woof roll maestro, please) five puppies in training to be muster dogs on the ABC which ended up fourth nationally with 939,000, beating Ten’s glossy I’m A Celebrity (732,000 for the lead-up and elimination).

In terms of winners, the quintet nipped past Ash Barty in outright cuteness on screen. How could you resist five gorgeous furries?

But Barty again delivered for herself, her supporters and for Nine in a way that seems different this year. So are the “two Ks” — Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis in the men’s doubles — and the champion, Dylan Alcott. Nine’s tennis coverage last night, starting with Barty’s straight-sets fourth round win averaged 1.38 million for Nine, including more than a million in the metros.

Nine won the night from Seven and Ten but in the main channels the ABC pushed past Ten into third. The success of The Dog House Australia on Ten towards the end of last year, and now Muster Dogs, confirms there is a good TV audience for woofers. And of course there’s the star, Bluey.

Regional Top 5: Seven News, 407,000; 2022 Australian Open, day 7, night, 379,000; Nine News, 347,000; Muster Dogs, 335,00; Australian Open, day 7, night, pre-match, 274,000.

Network channel share: