The AFL/NRL Footy Show has celebrated its 21 year milestone with a top 10 berth on a night dominated by news related programs.
The Nine Network's show was one of just three non-news or current affair programs to make the top 10.
The Footy Show slipped into 10th with an audience of 787,00.
The Seven Network's long running soapie Home and Away was fifth with 869,000 viewers and Seven's Border Security - Australia's Front Line was eighth with 819,000 watchers.
The rest of the top 10 was made up of news-related programs headed by Nine News with 1.034 million viewers and Nine News 6.30pm with 982,000.
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Nine's hit reality renovation show The Block: Fans v Faves didn't screen in Sydney and Brisbane because the network aired the opening match of the NRL season.
However, The Block still managed to finish 14th with 644,000 viewers, which was higher than any program on Network Ten.
Ten's highest rating show on Thursday was its nightly news which attracted an audience of 553,000 to be 15th overall, according to OzTAM's overnight ratings.
Most watched shows on Thursday
1. Nine News (Nine) - 1.034 million
2. Nine News 6.30pm (Nine) - 982,000
3. Seven News (Seven) - 938,000
4. Seven News/ Today Tonight (Seven) - 886,000
5. Home And Away (Seven) 869,000
6. A Current Affair (Nine) - 866,000
7. ABC News (ABC1) - 859,000
8. Border Security - Australia's Front Line (Seven) - 819,000
9. 7.30 (ABC1) - 804,000
10. The Footy Show (Nine) - 787,000
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14. The Block: Fans V Faves (Nine) - 644,000
15. Ten News )Ten) - 553,000
* Source OzTAM
