Seven’s coverage of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games was a big hit across television over the weekend, claiming the top entertainment program on all three nights.
And it comes as no surprise, with Australia sitting comfortably at the top of the medal tally with a haul of 17 gold, 9 silver, and 13 bronze medals.
Big wins include Iona Anderson who won gold in the women’s 100-metre backstroke and Timothy Hodge who claimed back-to-back gold in the 100-metre freestyle S9.
On Sunday, Seven struck gold with its Commonwealth Games Day 3 Evening coverage, which reached a total TV reach of 2.556 million Australians and averaged 964,000 viewers, making it the top entertainment program of the day.
It’s Day 3 Night coverage also did well, reaching a total of 2.069 million viewers and averaging 822,000.
And for passionate brick builders, Lego Masters Bricktacular was Sunday’s biggest non-sport entertainment program, reaching 1.772 million viewers with an average audience of 733,000.
Network 10 also enjoyed a very strong performance from MasterChef Australia, which reached 1.16 million Australians and averaged 738,000.
Meghan Markle joined the MasterChef Australia kitchen as a guest judge. The Duchess of Sussex tasked the top four contestants with creating a “dish fit for a Duchess” centred around a single seasonal ingredient.
Markle also received a “surprise” video call from husband Prince Harry.
And the results of her appearance were visible. For MasterChef it was the biggest overnight Sunday audience in three years, and the biggest ever overnight streaming audience of 118,000.
The sporting rivalry between the commercial broadcasters remained close, with Seven’s Sunday AFL coverage reaching 1.398 million, edging out Nine’s Sunday Afternoon NRL, which reached 1.188 million.
On Saturday, Seven claimed the top four entertainment programs of the day, led by Day 2 Evening, which reached 1.948 million viewers and averaged 722,000. Day 2 Night wasn’t far behind with a reach of 1.704 million, while the late session attracted 1.412 million. Viewers also tuned into the Day 1 highlights, which reached 1.222 million.
Nine found success with a mix of entertainment and nostalgia.
The network’s airing of Legally Blonde reached 931,000Australians, while Getaway continued its consistent run with 807,000 viewers. ABC drama Cooper & Fry also delivered another solid audience, reaching 739,000.
Meanwhile, Friday saw some big numbers roll in, as Seven marked the opening night of the Games.
While Seven’s Friday Night AFL topped the night with a reach of 2.061 million viewers and an average audience of 730,000, but the opening evening of the Commonwealth Games wasn’t far behind. Day 1 Evening reached 1.628 million Australians, before Day 1 Night and the late coverage pulled in 1.281 million and 1.251 million viewers respectively.
Nine’s regular performers also held their ground, with Tipping Point Australia reaching 1.356 million viewers and Friday Night NRL Live attracting 1.304 million.
A Current Affair continued its strong form with a reach of 1.143 million.
