Nine pushed its way to the top of the ratings last night, taking a total 31.6% share of all free-to-air viewers ahead of rival Seven’s 24.9%.

Nine’s main channel won 22% of all viewers on Thursday night with Nine News the most watched program with an audience of 1.17 million, according to OzTam’s preliminary metro ratings.

A Current Affair took 967,000 with the Footy Show and Big Brother also in the top 10 with 864,000 and 840,000 respectively.

The Ashes on Nine’s digital channel GEM helped lift the network’s share. Gem took 5% of all viewers, the highest share for a secondary channel on Thursday night.

The only program Seven pushed above the million mark was Seven News (1.123 million), even Dynamo: Magician Impossible didn’t conjure a million-plus figure, sitting on 915,000 viewers.

Ten rounded up the top 20 with MasterChef Australia – Masterclass (610,000) in 16^th place followed by Law & Order: SVU (607,000), The Project (564,000), Ten News at Five (552,000) and finally Law & Order: SVU (538,000).

Ten won a combined viewer share of 19.2% ahead of the ABC’s 18.3%.

The ABC’s Upper Middle Bogan won ninth most watched with 861,000 viewers. It’s a Date took 773,000.