WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT
October 2025
The positive national mood of September was short-lived as Australia's national mood shifted back to a negative mindset in October. Despite this, Australians continue to prioritise health, life enjoyment, and family security. Nine's audience remains highly engaged with media, regularly listening to podcasts, especially News and Politics content which they want more of. They are also showing a strong openness to paying for new media subscriptions: All are fuelling opinions and conversations this month.
3-6 October, 2025
Inside this month’s Consumer Pulse dip
Mood of the Nation
The national mood
The positive national mood of September was short-lived, as October 2025 has seen a downturn. Anxiety and frustration are on the rise again, pushing the national mindset back into a net negative state with negative emotions outweighing positives.
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Dominant mood indicators
The national mood shows a pattern of contrasts. The top emotions are positive, with people feeling relaxed and calm. However, the next most common emotions are negative, including anxiety and frustration. This mixed pattern continues, with optimism and hope followed by feelings of stress and scepticism. The top 10 concludes with a blend of feeling safe but also pessimistic.
This highlights a national mood in Australia that is a nuanced blend of positive and negative emotions, reflecting a society experiencing both significant stress and frustration, but trying to find ways to maintain a sense of calm and hope.
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Australian Values
Health, life enjoyment & family security remain top values
When it comes to what matters most, Nine's audience still places health at the top of their list. This core value, along with enjoying life and family security, has continued to lead the way over the last six months. There has been some movement in other values, with minor increases among those prioritising personal growth, seeking self-discipline, the freedom to choose their own goals, and more meaningful relationships in mature love. At the same time, the importance of more traditional ideals such as loyalty, independence and capability has dropped.
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Conversation Starters
SUBSCRIPTION GROWTH POTENTIAL
open to paying for a new media subscription
Nine audience open to paid media subscriptions presents clear growth path
There is an opportunity to capture new subscribers, with 17% of Nine's audience open to paying for a new media subscription (e.g. a streaming, music, podcast or news service) in the next 12 months. This potential is even greater among the 18-44 age group, where the likelihood increases to over 1 in 5 (21%).
BRAND CONSIDERATION
Brands must prioritise a seamless onboarding and cancellation experience, as any complexity can quickly damage brand reputation and increase subscriber churn.
Podcast Consumption
tune in to Podcasts at least once a month
Podcast listening is a significant and regular habit for Nine's audience
Podcast listening is a regular habit for a significant portion of Nine's audience, with over 40% tuning in at least once a month. This trend is particularly strong within the 35-44 demographic, where the proportion of monthly listeners jumps to 60%. While both genders are engaged, men are slightly more frequent listeners, with 46% listening monthly or more often, compared to 40% of women.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
Podcast content preference
want to hear more about News and Politics
News, Politics, and Comedy lead audience demand for more podcast content
When it comes to the Podcast topics they listen to, Nine’s audience want to hear more about News and Politics (28%), Comedy (28%), TV and Film (23%) and True Crime (22%). A higher proportion of men want more content focused on News and Politics (31%) compared to Females (24%), while a higher proportion of women want more content focused on TV and Film (30%) compared to 17% of men.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
Advertisers should leverage the clear gender-based topic preferences to strategically allocate budgets by aligning brands - such as placing a finance brand on News and Politics content and a lifestyle brand on Entertainment and True Crime - to maximize targeted audience reach.
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