• Doco + movie: Seven ends Nine’s six-week Sunday winning streak
• Sunday Night’s Diana, Our Mother special edition dominates with 1.33m
• The Block’s 1.11m launch keeps Nine competitive in east coast capitals
• Australian Survivor launches under 650,000, TEN’s Sunday share lower
See full ratings figures on the Mediaweek Morning Report here.
Seven has broken the vice-like grip Nine has built on Sunday nights over the past six weeks, which culminated in three massive Sundays thanks to Australian Ninja Warrior.
Seven’s 26.9% Sunday primary share was its best since week 18 and the end of House Rules and was its second best Sunday for the survey year.
Nine trailed across the metro network by 4.2 in primary share, but it was much more competitive on the east coast, winning Melbourne and trailing by less than a point in Sydney.
Seven led by over 2.0 in Brisbane and Seven went close to doubling Nine’s share in Adelaide and Perth.
Apart from the launch Sunday for Ninja Warrior, TEN had its lowest Sunday share since before MasterChef arrived.
The ABC had its first Sunday share back in double figures since the first Sunday in June.
Meanwhile SBS recorded its lowest Sunday share since January.
Seven
Seven News Sunday pushed above 1.30m with one of the biggest news audiences this year. The numbers in Melbourne in particular were helped by the AFL match that saw Collingwood tie with the Adelaide Crows with well over 300,000 watching in that market at 5.45pm.
Melissa Doyle hosted the Sunday Night Diana special from the banks of the Thames as she hosted another episode overseas. Seven also used her narrations throughout the HBO/Oxford Film & Television documentary, which drew 1.33m viewers, that show’s biggest audience this year.
Seven then went old school with a Sunday night movie, the FTA premiere of The Dressmaker, which did a very respectable 679,000. The Diana doco did run a little long though which might adjust this number.
Nine
Despite the big footy crowd in Melbourne on Seven, Nine News Sunday won the hour in that market after coming from behind early in the bulletin. Nine News also won Sydney, but trailed elsewhere.
The Block season 13 got under way with trucks arriving at the Elsternwick site carrying the five houses being relocated. Previews of what’s to come seem to indicate the teams will contribute much drama across the following weeks and are again good choices. The teams went straight into a 48-hour challenge to deliver a bedroom each, which will decide who gets first pick of the houses. Those rooms are delivered tonight in the first reveals. The launch episode did 1.11m with The Block ranking #1 in Melbourne for the night with 428,000.
The Block launched with 1.07m last year, ranking #1 on a day that also featured the final day of the Rio Olympics and the launch of Survivor.
60 Minutes followed the renovators with 813,000 with reports on separate Australians involved in criminal investigations from Liam Bartlett in Asia and Tara Brown in South America.
TEN
The network was caught in the crossfire last night with big guns firing elsewhere.
Australian Survivor launched with 639,000, which was almost double the channel’s next best. The format needs to be as fit as the contestants given it started with a lead-in audience under 350,000 with well over 1m already consuming content on each of the main opposition channels. Last night’s episode showcased the contestants in the second season and sent home the first contestant, shortly after she boasted what a good competitor she would be. In its first season on TEN last year Survivor launched with 783,000.
No doubt expecting some scrutiny this morning, Network Ten chief content officer Beverley McGarvey said: “We are pleased with how Australian Survivor launched last night, given the heavy competition. It is a great show, with extraordinary contestants, drama and challenges. Australian Survivor dominated social media last night and we are confident viewers will engage with the show – across all platforms – as the new season unfolds.”
Elsewhere two episodes of Modern Family did 282,000 and then 341,000.
Bull took a hit after some recent growth. Last week’s audience of 411,000 turned into 274,000 last night. Expect some of those who drifted away to catch up during the week.
ABC
ABC News did 740,000 followed by Grand Designs New Zealand on 523,000.
Another good Poldark episode but the audience remained just under 500,000. George continues to prosper with things Ross doesn’t have time for whether they be roles on the judiciary, a seat in parliament of even a former lover!
SBS
A search for the Garden of Eden was the channel’s best in the 7.30 doco slot with 187,000.
The 8.30pm You Are Here doco featured In My Own Words with 58,000.
The 9.45pm Ivanka Trump doco, America’s Real First Lady?, did 109,000.