Archives: Media Releases

Hold on to your bouquet as Married at First Sight New Zealand returns next month for a brand-new season, fast-tracked and streaming exclusively and free for Australian viewers on 9Now from June 2 at 4.00pm AEST, with new episodes dropping Sunday – Tuesday.

The New Zealand version of the world’s greatest marriage experiment show, is back for its fourth season, with more fiery drama and explosive love stories.

And in exciting news for fans, two new experts are joining the fold.

MAFS Australia legend John Aiken will be the relationship expert poised to help brides and grooms find love, while bringing his unique flair of holding participants to account. Aiken will be joined by relationship and sex therapist Jo Robertson, who has over 14 years of experience and will bring a different dynamic to the duo, offering participants practical strategies and conversations about chemistry, intimacy and affection.

John Aiken said: “I’m excited to be a part of the fresh relaunch of MAFS NZ. After being involved for over a decade with the Australian version, I can now bring all of my lessons and insights to Kiwi singles looking for love. I spent a good deal of time growing up in New Zealand and I married a Kiwi, so I feel very connected to the country and its diverse population.

“MAFS NZ will have the similar mix of drama, love and relationship learning that the audience loves. I think those who tune in will really invest in the couples and watch with interest how they navigate all the challenges.”

The eight brides and grooms walking down the aisle and taking the major leap of faith in this new season are:

Brides: Account Manager/Healing Intuitive, Madeleine (37); Content Creator, Samatha (26); Car Sales Representative, Kara (33); and Marketing Professional, Stephanie (31).

Grooms: Auctioneer and Business Owner, Michael (36); Brewer, Piripi (28); Primary School Teacher, James (31); and Aviation Officer, Nathaniel (30).

MEET THE CAST

Pop the champagne, get your popcorn ready and cosy up for your MAFS NZ fix.

MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT NEW ZEALAND 2024
PREMIERES SUNDAY, JUNE 2 AT 4.00PM AEST
AVAILABLE TO STREAM FOR FREE ON 9NOW

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Visit 9Now.com.au

For further information, please contact:
Alessandra Muratore
9Network Publicity
alessandra.muratore@nine.com.au

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

With cost of living pressures and rising house prices, more than ever Australians are looking to secure their financial future by focusing on their superannuation. 

Now, a new editorial series from the Money experts at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAtoday take readers step-by-step through how to create the strongest possible super balance. 

The six-part Super Fit series – with launch partner Colonial First State – covers everything from planning how much you’ll need to retire comfortably, which funds to use, the best allocation at each age, how and when to make additional contributions and how to spend in retirement. 

The specially-commissioned Super Fit stories appear in the Money section in the Wednesday editions of the Herald and The Age until June 26, and are also housed in a digital collection across the four masthead websites along with some other informative superannuation stories by prominent Money experts such as John Collett, Bec Wilson and Paul Benson.

For many people, their mandatory superannuation investment will be the largest asset they will have in their lifetime. On July 1 the rate that workplaces need to pay employees will increase to 11.5 per cent of their salary, rising to 12 per cent by July 2025. 

For young workers embarking on their career through to people approaching retirement, it’s never too late to make sure your superannuation is as healthy as possible. 

Super Fit features an interactive superannuation calculator which allows our curious audience to look to the future and see what their nest egg will look like in five, 10, 15, 20 years and beyond. 

Money Editor Dominic Powell says: “Getting your super in top shape is one of the most crucial things you can do to ensure a comfortable retirement, yet it’s something many of us don’t think about until it’s too late. Small changes now – like switching funds or making an extra contribution – could mean thousands of extra dollars in your pocket later in life.

“If you’re someone who doesn’t know where to start, Super Fit will help you take the first steps on this journey, and answer any questions you have about the most important investment you’ll (probably) ever make.”

James McCluskie, Client Director Finance & Technology, says: “Growing wealth responsibly and prioritising financial wellbeing and stability are front of mind with our readership. Super Fit presents the perfect platform for our superannuation clients. Allowing them to position themselves as a relatable fund driving superior outcomes for their current and future members that align with our readership’s values.”

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au 

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Grand Slam tennis is back on the renowned clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris, where the best in the world will compete at the French Open starting Sunday, May 26, live and free on 9GemHD and to stream on 9Now.

In the 128th edition of Roland Garros, Nine’s exclusive coverage will showcase 15 days of competition and calling the action will be Todd Woodbridge, Jelena Dokic, Samantha Stosur and Brenton Speed for the Wide World of Sports.

Fourteen-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal is expected to make his final appearance on the courts he has dominated in a storied career. An ominous lineup will be gunning for their own glory with Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, fresh from winning the Italian Open, all ranked in the top four.

Australia will have its highest men’s representation at Roland Garros since 1999 as our hopes lie with Alex de Minaur (world No.11), Jordan Thompson (No.37), Alexei Popyrin (No.51) and Chris O’Connell (No.64), along with Alexander Vukic, Rinky Hijikata, Max Purcell, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Adam Walton (wildcard).

In the women’s draw, Aussies Daria Saville and Ajla Tomljanovic will take on a tough field headed by the top three players in the world: Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.

BROADCAST GUIDE

Roland Garros 2024
Sunday May 26 to Sunday June 9, live and free on 9GemHD and 9Now.

ROLAND GARROS 2024
BEGINS SUNDAY MARCH 26 AT 6.30PM 
WATCH ON 9GEMHD, STREAM ON 9NOW

EVERY MATCH STREAMING AD-FREE, LIVE & ON DEMAND WITH
FOUR COURTS IN 4K UHD ON STAN SPORT

Friday, May 24, 2024

Nine has today announced that highly regarded sales leader Jo Barton has been appointed Director of Sales – Sydney, further strengthening the Nine sales team as it focuses on helping partners reach audiences across its Total Television, Total Audio and Total Publishing platforms.

Currently Group Business Director with complete responsibility for Nine’s largest agency group, Jo has been at Nine since 2016 and has previously worked with some of the world’s largest media businesses including BBC Worldwide, EMAP UK and Australia; ACP and Bauer Magazines and News Corp Australia.   

Michael Stephenson, Nine’s Chief Sales Officer said: “Given our unique set of market leading assets, all of our teams must be cross platform athletes, experts in helping our partners connect with their audiences across our platforms. Jo has a proven track record in helping Australia’s largest brands to use our assets to deliver real business outcomes.” 

“With her TV, radio, publishing and digital experience she’s ready to lead the largest sales team in the country. I’m proud that once again we are able to promote from within, testament to our ongoing commitment to improving the capability of our entire team.”       

Barton said she is “beyond excited” to be given the opportunity to lead Nine’s Sydney sales team and represent our leading Total TV, Total Audio and Total Publishing platforms.   

“I am really looking forward to implementing the Nine sales strategy across the Sydney market, working closely with our team and our partners to create integrated cross platform solutions which deliver real business outcomes,” she said. 

“It’s a massive year for Nine, and I am privileged to lead such a passionate, professional and driven team.”

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au 

Friday, May 24, 2024

Nine today announces the appointment of Fiona Dear, currently EP of A Current Affair, as the new Director of News and Current Affairs.

This appointment comes at a time of rapid change in our news division as we continue to rise to the challenges of an ever faster, more dense media environment and an audience craving original news content that is delivered accurately and timely whenever and wherever they are.

‘Fiona is an outstanding news person, who has worked tirelessly here at Nine across all our broadcast news brands and perfectly understands our news culture of excellence. We are excited to see her lead the outstanding team of people in television news to bring the full range of news and current affairs to our audiences,’ said Michael Healy Director of Television on the appointment. ‘At Nine we pride ourselves on our news brand, that heritage lives in the hearts and minds of Australians and has done so for over 60 years.’

Fiona Dear began her career as a work experience kid at WIN Wollongong and since those heady days she has worked diligently through the WIN Network from Wagga Wagga as a reporter to Canberra for WIN as a reporter and Chief of Staff.

‘I got a call from Nine inviting me in to talk about life! And look where that took me, from Canberra to the COS in Sydney at the heart of our beating news brands, it was exhilarating and scary all at once. I was in no doubt I was working with the best in the business.’

‘I’m honoured now to be given this role, and I look forward to the challenges, the news that makes our business great and leading our people as we tell Australia’s stories every day.’

News and Current Affairs has an outstanding track record of delivering the very best original breaking news. From the recent outstanding breaking news coverage of the Bondi Junction attacks to the long form excellence in our Current Affairs portfolio of shows who work so brilliantly with our colleagues in Publishing and Radio.

Fiona will oversee the roster of Channel 9 programs from our 6pm News bulletins, breaking news teams, Today, A Current Affair and 60 Minutes.

Fiona has led the team at ACA for the past five and a half years including the handover from long time host Tracy Grimshaw to Ally Langdon who today presents the most successful Current Affairs program in Australia.

‘A Current Affair is a special family, it’s a team who care passionately about getting to the heart and soul of every story and I’m so proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of this brilliant team. I won’t be taking my eye off the ACA ball, but we will be announcing a new Executive Producer in due course,’ said Fiona today.

At Nine we continue to look for the best and most efficient way to structure our business and this alignment of News and Current Affairs within the broader Total Television business reflects the reality of how our programming teams work with the news division.

‘Fiona has been instrumental in developing some of our most important news brands. We are delighted that she will lead our News and Currents Affairs teams as they continue to build on the exceptional results they are delivering,’ said Michael Healy today.

For further information, please contact:
Victoria Buchan
Director of Communications
0408114864

Thursday, May 23, 2024

NRL on Nine will celebrate First Nations communities this week when Indigenous Round lights up your screen, live and free on Channel 9HD and streaming on 9Now from tonight, May 23 at 7.30pm.

First up, freakishly fast Indigenous All Stars Josh Addo-Carr and Tyrell Sloan will feature on Thursday Night Football when the Bulldogs host the Dragons.

Friday Night Footy is live from the home of the Garigal People, 4 Pines Park, where the deep-running rivalry between the Manly Sea Eagles and Melbourne Storm is ready to come to the fore once again. 

Storm legend Billy Slater will offer his commentary on the game from the venue, only on Channel 9, just days before he makes his final selections for the Queensland State of Origin team. Indigenous NRL legends Johnathan Thurston and Sam Thaiday also join the coverage to champion their proud heritage.

Nine’s Wide World of Sports will have exclusive access to the winning dressing rooms after the game.

The NRL Sunday Footy Show is live from 11.00am, before Sunday Arvo Footy at 3.00pm.

The NRL is calling on all fans to learn about the rich tapestry of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in this week of celebrating their remarkable achievements on and off the field. It is also an opportunity to connect with Australians and New Zealanders of diverse races and backgrounds, fostering the power of unity. Learn more by visiting NRL.com/Indigenous.

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 23

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL – BULLDOGS v DRAGONS

Friday May 24

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTY – SEA EAGLES v STORM

Sunday, May 26

THE SUNDAY FOOTY SHOW – from 11.00am with Billy Slater, Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler and Danika Mason.

HOSTPLUS QUEENSLAND CUP – 2.10pm, Ipswich Jets v Norths Devils.
Norths Devils will be chasing a fourth straight win when they travel to Ipswich to take on the Jets.

SUNDAY ARVO FOOTY – WARRIORS v DOLPHINS

 

Monday, May 27

7.30PM LIVE ON 9NOW – 100% FOOTY 
10.00pm on Channel 9HD in Sydney/Brisbane.Phil Gould and Paul Gallen go head to head after the latest NRL round with host James Bracey. All the latest scoops come from 9News reporter Michael Chammas.

PODCAST AVAILABLE NOW – STORIES OF ORIGIN SEASON 3 ‘ALFIE’

This season, Stories of Origin shines the spotlight on the career of the little number seven who became a giant footballing figure, Alan “Alfie” Langer. Stories of Origin Alfie is available on 9Now and wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Nine NRL commentator Mathew Thompson.

9NOW | APPLE | SPOTIFY

INDIGENOUS ROUND ON THE 9NETWORK
MAY 23-26, LIVE AND FREE
WATCH ON CHANNEL 9HD, STREAM ON 9NOW

Thursday, May 23, 2024

PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION on 9Now has reported 43 million total streaming minutes and 51% audience between 18-39 (versus an AVOD industry average of 29%) since launching in late October. 

A fresh programming slate, mixed with experimental marketing and programming choices, has delivered on the channel’s mission to “stream chaos 24/7” and achieve speedy notoriety.

Official festival partnerships with Spilt Milk and Lost Paradise and a NYE street poster stunt got the brand in-front of 130,000+ young punters over summer. 

Complimenting their ongoing partnership with Australian Independent Record labels (AIR), original series’ Shooting Stars and Kick Ons TV have featured artists like PNAU, Rudimental and The XX’s Romy to forge fan groundswell on social media and a weekend party entry point for the channel.

Local comedy Rostered On, via web comedy collective Robot Army, was the channel’s consistently highest performing series among the target demo, and the addition of web series Internment, My First Time and Tales From 88 aim to emulate. 

For Gen Z females, TV-nostalgia is defined by what they watched in highschool, proven by April’s The OC and Pretty Little Liars audience surge. The live channel spike for 1992’s Single White Female shows discovery of older titles via Pedestrian Group’s brand network, including VICE, PEDESTRIAN.TV and Refinery29 for this same demo.

Weekend marathons have been a hit with the second-screen audience. To mimic the success of titles like Snoop Dogg: The Joker’s Wild, Murder House Flip and Champagne Ill, coming to PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION from June are non-scripted formats to scripted prestige comedy, plus cult feature films available now on-demand, via Sony Pictures, Filmrise and more. 

Upcoming shows on PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION include: Hot Ones, Woke, Gary Busey Pet Judge, Cheaters, Good Girls Revolt, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Above Average Presents, Iron Chef and more.

And upcoming features include: Party Girl, Burlesque, Center Stage, Marie Antoinette, Gigli, Glitter, Moon, I Know What I Did Last Summer and more.

In the spirit of streaming chaos, the inaugural PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION AWARDS will be held June 26th to celebrate the momentous happenings that have tickled the zeitgeist in the past 12 months. Presented by Uber Pool, LYNX and Cupio Wines, the awards show will air on PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION in early July, live and on demand. 

Audience metrics via OzTAM 
Images: FilmRise, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Slap Bang

About Pedestrian Group
Pedestrian Group is Australia’s leading youth-centered publisher and creator of TV Channel PEDESTRIAN TELEVISION, streaming chaos 24/7 on 9Now. It is home to PEDESTRIAN.TV, The Chainsaw, VICE Australia, Refinery29 Australia, Lifehacker Australia, Gizmodo Australia, and Kotaku Australia, as well as the Openair Cinemas. It is wholly owned by Nine, Australia’s largest locally-owned media company.

For further information, please contact:
Caitlin Lynch
Senior Communications Manager, Nine 
clynch@nine.com.au

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Nine today announces that Nikki Rooke has been promoted to Director of Sales – Total Television, one of Australia’s most senior commercial roles.

Currently Director of Sales – Sydney, with commercial responsibility for Nine’s TV, streaming, audio and publishing assets, Rooke will lead Nine’s national total television sales team overseeing Metro TV, Regional TV and BVOD. She replaces Richard Hunwick who announced his resignation last week. 

Working alongside Jo Clasby (Director of Sales – Total Publishing), Ashley Earnshaw (Director of Sales – Total Audio), Nick Young (Commercial Director – Digital) and Lisa Day (Director – Powered), she will report to Nine’s Chief Sales Officer Michael Stephenson.

Having joined Nine two years ago from SCA, Rooke’s extensive media experience, exceptional leadership skills and proven track record leading large teams will ensure that Nine continues to lead the way by creating cross platform solutions for our clients.

Michael Stephenson said: “Nikki is the ultimate professional. She is one of our industry’s most senior commercial leaders and her track record speaks for itself. She is passionate about our people and she has an in-depth understanding of what marketers need. There simply isn’t a more perfect or more qualified person to lead our Total TV team than Nikki Rooke”. 

“Nikki joins Jo Clasby, Ash Earnshaw, Nick Young, Lisa Day and Warwick Sharp alongside Andrea Salmon, Bec Lawrie, Sean O’Brien, Clive Bingwa, Tim Rose and Matt Granger in our leadership team. The perfect team to help our clients leverage the power of Nine in our Olympic and Paralympic year.”     

Nikki Rooke said: “I’m thrilled to be leading Nine’s Total TV team and fill the very big shoes left behind by Richard Hunwick. I can’t wait to work with all our advertisers who understand and embrace the power of television and the sustainable, profitable returns it delivers to their businesses both in the short and long term. 

“I am also very excited to be working with such a talented sales team both market facing and those behind the scenes who work tirelessly every day to ensure our clients have the best experience possible.  

“It is such a great time to be stepping into this role as we countdown to Paris 2024, which will deliver to advertisers of all sizes a viewing experience never seen before across FTA television and BVOD with unprecedented scale and addressability.  This is only the beginning, with so much more content, more new product innovation and more new data opportunities to come. I can’t wait to get started.” 

She will begin her new role on July 1. Her replacement as Director of Sales – Sydney will be announced in the coming days. 

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au 

Monday, May 20, 2024

The Age has once again maintained its lead as Victoria’s most read masthead, with a cross platform readership of 4.7 million, according to Total News readership figures released by Roy Morgan today.

The Age has cemented its place as the nation’s second most read news brand after The Sydney Morning Herald and is ahead of its main competitor The Herald Sun by more than 720,000 people.   

The Monday to Friday print edition recorded a readership of 251,000, while the Saturday edition has 403,000 print readers. In the last four weeks 1.050 million people on average have read a print edition of The Age.  

Across The Age and the Herald, the country’s most prestigious food news brand, Good Food, recorded a Total News readership of 1.4 million, up 5.7% quarterly, while Traveller recorded quarterly growth of 3.9% with 1.15 million readers. 

Good Weekend recorded an average issue print readership of 708,000, while Sunday Life recorded an average issue print readership of 362,000 and Domain recorded readership of 489,000. 

“The news cycle has been relentless in the first quarter of 2024, and the millions of readers who turn to our mastheads for quality and accuracy have shown their willingness to invest in premium journalism,” said Executive Editor Luke McIlveen.

“We’re delighted with the subscription growth across The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald and we will continue to deliver the thoughtful, independent journalism our readers expect.

The Age editor Patrick Elligett said: “Our focus on quality, high impact journalism that matters to Victorians is making a real difference to the lives of people in this state. Reader endorsement of our approach is evident in the subscription and engagement growth we are seeing each week.”  

Nine’s Total Publishing assets reach a de-duplicated audience of 16 million* Australians across print and digital.

The Total News readership figures are produced by Roy Morgan for ThinkNewsBrands.  

Source: Roy Morgan Research, All People 14+ for the 12 months ending March 2024. All audience data is based on the last 4 weeks averaged over the 12 months to March 2024. *This figure includes: nine.com.au, SMH Print & Digital, The Age Print & Digital, AFR Print & Digital, Brisbane Times, WA Today, Domain Digital, Good Weekend VIC & NSW, Sunday Life VIC & NSW, Domain NIM VIC & NSW, AFR Magazine, Fin! Print Platforms include: SMH Print, The Age Print, AFR Print, Good Weekend VIC & NSW, Sunday Life VIC & NSW, Domain NIM VIC & NSW, AFR Magazine, Fin!

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au

Monday, May 20, 2024