With a lack of sport on the screen, the politics of Q+A was the only game in town

A Thursday night. An election campaign. No sport. That meant the ABC’s Q+A drew higher numbers than usual: 411,000, up from 360,000 the week before. With 10 days to go until polling day, this episode was all about the undecided voters.

It aired after Foreign Correspondent with 529,000, up from 445,000 a week earlier. Hawaiian nationalism was more appealing than being undecided about the election. Is that why ScoMo went there during the bushfires?

Seven’s Big Brother drew 538,000 — no change, really. Even MasterChef Australia managed to sneak into the national top 10 with 664,000 national viewers, up from 620,000 a week ago (with no NRL on Nine last night). Still, sport got a look-in — with 447,000, Seven’s The Front Bar did better than Q+A.

In breakfast, ABC News Breakfast added viewers to climb past Today for the first time this week — 318,000 national viewers to 308,000. News Breakfast was also stronger in the metros — 213,000 to 194,000 for Today. But it was Seven’s Sunrise in front with 407,000 and 247,000.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (27.4%)
2. Nine (25.2%)
3. Ten (19.4%)
4. ABC (17.3%)
5. SBS (10.7%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (19.6%)
2. Nine (17.5%)
3. Ten (12.5%)
4. ABC (11.7%%)
5. SBS ONE (6.0%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7TWO (3.6%)
2. 10 Bold (3.1%) 
3. ABC Kids/Plus, 7mate, 10 Peach (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.518 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.406 million
3. Nine News — 1.153 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.085 million
5. 7pm ABC News — 925,000
6. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 907,000
7. A Current Affair (Nine) — 828,000
8. Home and Away (Seven) — 775,000
9. 7.30 (ABC) — 708,000
10. MasterChef Australia (Ten) — 664,000

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

Regional top 5: Seven News, 576,000; Seven News 6.30, 532,000; The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 332,000; Home and Away, 314,000; 7pm ABC News, 296,000.

Losers: Weak night overall, except for Ten with MasterChef and Gogglebox.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News 6.30 — 942,000
2. Seven News — 873,000
3. Nine News — 871,000
4. Nine News 6.30 — 810,000
5. 7pm ABC News — 629,000
6. ACA (Nine) — 572,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 489,000
8. Foreign Correspondent (ABC) — 385,000
9. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 351,000
10. 10 News First — 296,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 407,000/247,000
2. ABC News Breakfast (ABC) — 318,000/213,000
3. Today (Nine) — 308,000/194,000
4. ABC News Mornings — 276,000
5. The Morning Show (Seven) — 242,000
6. Today Extra (Nine) — 161,000
7. Studio 10 (Ten) — 37,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 77,000
2. The Bolt Report (Sky News), Outback Opal Hunters (Discovery) — 60,000 
3. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 56,000
4. Credlin (Sky News), Grand Designs Australia (LifeStyle) — 53,000