in its 39th season, Home & Away has managed a ratings result that nobody saw coming.

For 4 nights last week, the Seven soap was the top rating entertainment show.

It also outranked any entertainment show offered on Sunday, Friday and Saturday, eclipsing all other offerings: The Floor, The 1% Club, MasterChef Australia, My Reno Rules, Glenn & Mick’s Celebrity Intervention, Tipping Point, The Assembly, Gruen, Gogglebox and more.

Not only that, it was again Thursday’s highest entertainment without being on the primary channel in all cities. This speaks to the growing 7plus audience.

Monday’s 1.011m was the top episode (if it keeps this up it may soon win the timeslot), averaging 939,260 for the week, up 5% on the same week in 2025.

April was Home and Away’s strongest month in over five years averaging 701,000 on linear broadcast, 257,000 on 7plus (the show’s biggest streaming month on record).

The 2026 season-to-date, which has featured a WA event and the return of Stephen Peacocke and Bonnie Sveen, is also up 10% on same period in 2025.

The results come at a time when local scripted drama is being largely overlooked on commercial Free to Air.

Seven’s Director of Content, Scripted, Julie McGauran said, “After a long day, we all crave somewhere to escape – and every night, Summer Bay delivers. There are a lot of problems in the world and Australia these days, and Summer Bay really is a great place to be at 7.00pm, a circuit breaker if you like, the perfect place to escape to.

“Home and Away is thriving because it gives us more than just television; it gives us connection, with so many of the characters we’ve grown up with, stories that make us feel something real, whether that’s laughter, heartbreak, or hope.

“Behind it all is a cast and crew at the top of their game, constantly pushing to make every episode better than the last.

“At its core, it’s the storytelling that keeps audiences coming back, stories that entertain, but more importantly, resonate. 

“Take Alf Stewart’s current journey. As Roo tries to protect her ageing dad, we’re left asking the same question: what does that protection cost him? It’s raw, relatable, and deeply human.

“The trust the audience has in Home and Away inspires us every day to keep creating great Aussie drama. There are so many more incredible stories coming this year and we can’t wait for the fans to enjoy them.”