Sport the big TV drawcard as the networks start folding up their 2022 tents

Nine’s night — the early end to the second cricket test saw Seven struggle with fill-in programming. The England-France World Cup quarter final — 511,000 from 6am, good figures, semis again 6am Wednesday and Thursday. Last Sunday morning’s Australia-Argentina game saw its audience boosted 33% by streaming viewing to 1.679 million from 1.272 million.

Apart from 7.30 (with Laura Tingle in the chair), serious Australian TV current affairs will go on holiday from tonight after Media Watch ends what has been a long and eventful season. Federal and state elections, the fading of the COVID emergencies (and the fading of ScoMo), plus the ranters and ravers on the right — especially the dinosaurs on Sky News from 6pm — made for a long, long year, not to mention the increasing oddities of the way ABC News reports and runs itself.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (32.6%)
2. Seven (21.5%)
3. ABC (20.6%)
4. Ten (16.0%)
5. SBS (9.3%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (20.9%)
2. ABC ONE (15.8%)
3. Seven (14.7%)
4. Ten (9.2%)
5. SBS (4.2%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. Gem (4.8%)
2. 7TWO (3.3%)
3. GO, 10 Bold, 10 Peach (3.1%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.162 million
2. Nine News — 943,000
3. 7pm ABC News — 855,000
4. Death In Paradise (repeat) (ABC) — 707,000
5. Snackmasters (Nine) — 600,000
6. Cricket: Second Test, Australia v Windies, Day 4, Session 1 (Seven) — 599,000
7. 60 Minutes (Summer) (Nine) — 582,000
8. World Cup: England v France, Quarter Final (SBS) — 511,000
9. Test Cricket on Seven — 472,000
10. World Cup: England v France: Quarter Final Post Match (SBS) — 443,000

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

Regional top 5: Seven News, 405,000; 7pm ABC News, 274,000; Nine News, 247,000; Death In Paradise (repeat), 238,000; Cricket: Second Test, Australia v Windies, Day 4, Session 1, 228,000.

Losers: anything other than sport — soccer and then cricket won the day and the weekend.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 756,000
2. Nine News — 696,000
3. 7pm ABC News — 586,000
4. 60 Minutes (Summer) (Nine) — 372,000
5. Nine News Late — 260,000
6. The Sunday Project 7pm (Ten) — 257,000
7. The Sunday Project 6.30pm — 177,000
8. Ten News First — 172,000
9. SBS World News — 112,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) — 322,000
2. Landline Summer (ABC) — 253,000
3. Weekend Today (Nine) — 215,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. Cricket: First Test, Australia v Windies, Day 4 (Fox Cricket) — 186,000
2. Test Cricket on Fox (Fox Cricket) — 74000
3. The Big Break (Fox Cricket) — 52,000
4. Outsiders (Sky News) — 46,000
5. Paul Murray Live, Outsiders (Sky News) — 44,000