Seven Network has locked in its position as Australia’s most-watched television network for the first half of 2026.
The network posted a total TV commercial share of 41.7% in all people across the 6 am to midnight window, ahead of Nine Network’s 41.5% and well clear of Network Ten’s 16.8%.
Seven was the most-watched network in 17 of the 26 weeks from January to June, reaching 17.6 million Australians nationally each month.
Its streaming platform, 7plus, was the fastest-growing commercial BVOD platform of the period, lifting its audience 49.7% year-on-year and growing its share from 38.7% to 40.1%.
Minutes consumed on the platform jumped 49% and daily active users rose more than 12%. Nine’s 9Now held the larger overall BVOD share at 45.9%.
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Sport, news, and drama do the heavy lifting
As it turns out, Seven’s biggest crowds weren’t in the stadiums, but in front of the screen.
AFL coverage reached 13.7 million Australians nationally on a season-to-date basis, up 7% on 2025.
The Big Bash League was up 8% on the previous summer – its biggest season in six years – while the Test cricket series was up 12% year-on-year and recorded the biggest Test series audience in Seven’s history.
7NEWS at 6 pm was the most-watched evening news bulletin nationally, with its total TV audience up 3%.
Sunrise and Weekend Sunrise captured more than 35% more viewers than their nearest rivals – their biggest winning margin in eight years – while The Morning Show grew its audience by 2%.
Home and Away increased its audience 13%, winning the 7 pm timeslot Monday to Thursday and recording its biggest audience since 2022.
Farmer Wants A Wife was up 16% on 2025, and Australian Idol posted its biggest season on the network.
Newcomer My Reno Rules was the most-watched new entertainment show of the year.
Eyes on the second half
Angus Ross, Managing Director, Television and Streaming at Southern Cross Media Group, said the results reflected the network’s sustained momentum.
“Day in, day out, Seven delivers the moments that matter to Australians, from live sport and breaking news to the best local drama and entertainment shows – all for free,” Ross said.
“We will have strong audience momentum for the rest of 2026 with key content including the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, The Voice, My Kitchen Rules, the TV WEEK Logie Awards and much more.”
Angus Ross
Katie Finney, National Television Sales Director, pointed to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and the Rugby League World Cup as catalysts for the second half.
“For advertisers, that means more opportunities than ever to connect with highly engaged audiences,” Finney said. “We’re entering an incredibly strong second half of the year that will continue to deliver scale, engagement and results for our partners.”
Source: VOZ 5.0 National. Average audience and cumulative reach. Network share and audience data, as well as 7NEWS, Sunrise, and The Morning Show data, cover 1 January to 29 June 2026, compared with the same calendar days in 2025. Program data is compared to 2026 calendar year-to-date figures versus the same period last year. Data: network share and audience when watched; program data consolidated seven days (last seven days overnight).