No mystery to it: Vera still a Sunday night sensation

It wuz Vera (891,000 nationally) wot dun it, guv, by which we mean the ABC crimebuster disrupted the cosy Sunday night free-to-air TV viewing party between Ten, Nine and Seven. In the spec of two eps, she showed that Australian TV viewers appreciate well-drawn characters, a solid storyline and a bit of vicarious travel (all those lingering shots of grey skies, verdant moors and the vibrant nightlife of Newcastle, not to mention the River Tyne — a great place to dispose of a body).

Vera’s brief Australian holiday didn’t disrupt The Block on Nine (1.346 million and number one nationally) — The Block is making its contribution to regional tourism in Victoria. Ten’s The Masked Singer final reveal averaged 934,000 (couldn’t top the million mark), and the finale itself averaged 764,000 — so on the whole, still stuck behind Vera. Spicks and Specks on the ABC averaged 752,000. And where was Seven’s poor old boring MKR? Making 687,000 nationally — towelled again by the opposition but still struggling into the national top 10. It can’t even raise a souffle.

Without the lead-in of the Sunday afternoon AFL game, Seven News struggled nationally and finished second (with 1.269 million) behind The Block.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (31.7%)
2. Seven (22.9%)
3. ABC (19.5%)
4. Ten (18.4%)
5. SBS (7.5%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (25.5%)
2. Seven 16.3%)
3. ABC (15.7%)
4. Ten (12.6%)
5. SBS ONE (4.3%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7mate (3.8%) 
2. 10 Peach (2.6%)
3. GO (2.2%)
4. 10 Bold (2.1%) 
5. 7TWO, 9Life (2.0%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. The Block (Nine) — 1.346 million
2. Seven News — 1.269 million
3. Nine News — 1.253 million
4. The Masked Singer final reveal (Ten) — 934,000
5. Vera (ABC) — 891,000
6. 7pm ABC News — 855,000
7. The Masked Singer finale (Ten) — 764,000
8. Spicks and Specks (ABC) — 752,000
9. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 690,000
10. My Kitchen Rules (Seven) — 687,000

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

Regional Top 5: Seven News, 479,000; The Block (Nine), 365,000; Nine News, 332,000; Vera (ABC), 294,000; 7pm ABC News, 276,000.

Losers: MKR — top 10 finish again but struggling for traction.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Nine News — 921,000
2. Seven News — 790,000
3. 7pm ABC News — 579,000
4. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 484,000
5. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 336,000
6. 7News Spotlight — 251,000
7. Nine News Late — 250,000
8. The Sunday Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 215,000
9. Ten News First — 208,000
10. SBS World News — 136,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Insiders (ABC) — 532,000
2. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) — 332,000
3. Landline (ABC) — 283,000
4. Weekend Today (Nine) — 249,000
5. Offsiders (ABC) — 199,000
6. Sports Sunday (Nine) — 157,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. NRL: Gold Coast v Newcastle (Fox League) — 206,000
2. NRL: Sunday Ticket (Fox League) — 172,000
3. NRL: Wests Tigers v St George (Fox League) — 171,000
4. F1: Belgium Race (Fox Sports 506) — 116,000
5. NRL: Sunday Night With Matty Johns (Fox League) — 96,000