Nine’s live and free coverage of the 2025 Melbourne Cup was a massive ratings success, with Australians tuning in across the 9Network in huge numbers to witness history being made at Flemington.

‘The race that stops a nation’ captivated the country, with the MELBOURNE CUP – RACE segment drawing a National Total TV Reach of 2.316 million. The Total TV National Audience for the race itself was 2.079 million, a significant 8.8% increase year-on-year.

Viewing on 9Now saw explosive growth, with the race attracting a BVOD Audience of 463,000, a massive 24.8% surge compared to the previous year, as viewers streamed the event live and free.

Audiences tuned in to watch jockey Jamie Melham’s historic victory aboard the Australian-bred horse, Half Yours, in front of an energetic crowd of 84,374 at Flemington. Melham’s triumph makes her the first female jockey in history to complete the coveted Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double, and only the second woman ever to win the Melbourne Cup, 10 years on from Michelle Payne’s famous victory.

The strong results continued across the entire day’s broadcast. The MELBOURNE CUP – PRESENTATION saw its Total TV National Audience jump 13.1% year-on-year to 1.793 million, with a 9Now audience of 325,000 (up 34.9% YoY).

The MELBOURNE CUP – LATE program grew 15.4% YoY (945,000 Total TV Audience) and saw a huge 52.8% jump on 9Now. The MELBOURNE CUP – PREVIEW was also up 5.8% YoY (892,000 Total TV Audience) with its 9Now audience growing by 39%.

The comprehensive day-long coverage also posted impressive numbers for the MELBOURNE CUP – MOUNTING YARD (1.996m Reach / 1.494m Total TV Audience) and MELBOURNE CUP – EARLY (1.644m Reach / 546,000 Total TV Audience) segments.

Brent Williams, Nine’s Director of Sport, said: “Yesterday’s results are a testament to the enduring power of the Melbourne Cup as one of Australia’s premier sporting and cultural moments. We are thrilled to see such significant audience growth, particularly the huge numbers on 9Now, which proves our Total TV strategy is delivering for viewers.

“Our world-class broadcast team captured the magic of the day perfectly and we are proud to have brought Jamie Melham’s historic, race-winning ride to all of Australia, live and free. It was an unforgettable day and these numbers confirm that Australians agree.”

Source: OzTAM © 2023, VOZ Data 5.0 Total TV, Broadcast TV, BVOD (Live+VOD), Audience = Overnight (What Watched), Reach (When Watched), FTA & Commercial Shares (When Watched) Content and Share reporting = National (incl. Spill), Metro and Regional market levels (excl. Spill)

For further information, please contact:
Terry Stuart
Senior Communications Manager
tstuart@nine.com.au

Wednesday, 5 November, 2025