Nathan Patrick, commercial director of regional, Nine
I’m approaching my 20th year in this industry, which I love, and I’m often asked what keeps me up at night. The truth is … everything. All the “I should haves” are what keep me awake.
Our industry is moving and changing at a rapid pace. When you’re running that hard and fast and never stop, you are bound to miss a lot of what is around you. And right now, what many are missing is a massive segment of the consumer market.
Missing the massive consumer market
The consumer is at the heart of it all, yet 37 per cent of Australians are excluded if you don’t buy Regional. Would you deliberately ignore the population of New York City if you were launching a campaign in America?
Or, to put it another way, would you ignore a market almost twice the size of New Zealand? How about launching a new product and deliberately excluding 14 of Australia’s 19 major cities?
But perhaps it is time we stop obsessing over places and start talking about people.
Where are your consumers actually going? The latest Regional Movers Index paints a very clear picture: they are leaving the cities. Sydney and Melbourne are driving a massive exodus, accounting for 95 per cent of the net outflow from capitals.
Meanwhile, net migration to regional areas is 26 per cent higher than to capital cities. Places like the Sunshine Coast, Greater Geelong and regional NSW are booming.
The regional migration boom
And here is the kicker: the data shows they are staying. Inter-regional mobility has hit record lows, meaning these regional populations are stabilising and growing deep roots.
If your audience has literally packed up and moved, why hasn’t your media plan moved with them?
Fact: Regional Total TV (TTV) reaches 12 per cent more people today than live broadcast did 10 years ago. It is just consumed differently. Fact: 44 per cent of Regional TTV viewers are under 40, and 41 per cent of Live broadcast viewing is consumed by those under 40.
Challenging the defensive mindset
In this fast-paced environment, those accountable for growing profits for their clients or shareholders need to look at the evidence.
Chasing the easy execution or a short-term win at the expense of genuine growth is something we are all seeing too often. We have to slow down enough to look at what actually drives outcomes.
Over the past 18 months, Nine has been working with clients to prove the effectiveness of TTV, and the results are in. TTV creates a sales impact that lasts twice as long as other media channels. For one week of TV activity, advertisers can get eight weeks of sales effects.
Armed with data like this, when I ask clients what their plans are, I am asking because I care. Yes, I work for Nine. Yes, I have targets.
But it is fundamentally because I genuinely care about driving outcomes.
Time for full transparency
Over the years, I’ve watched buyer behaviour shift, often becoming defensive. I hear, “We didn’t have enough money, so Regional was pulled,” or “Metro was our focus”.
But for a partnership to truly work, I believe in full transparency. We talk about accountability a lot, but how can we be accountable if we aren’t educated on the facts?
If I’ve hit a nerve, then you’re asking yourself a question. And that is all I want our industry to do: challenge the status quo.
After all, I’ve learnt the most from colleagues I’ve disagreed with.
Source: RegTAM Regional 5 Agg Jan-Jun 2015, Nine Content Affiliates, Seven Content Affiliates, 10 Content Affiliates, SBS Network, ABV Network, Broadcast TV, Avg Monthly Reach, P18+, Consolidated 7.
Source: TVMAP VOZ Analyser, VOZ Data 5.9 © OzTAM Pty Limited 2023, Regional 5 Agg, Jan-Jun 2025, Nine, Seven, 10, SBS, ABC, Total TV, Avg Monthly Reach, P18+, Consolidated 7.
Source: TVMAP VOZ Analyser, VOZ Data 5.9 © OzTAM Pty Limited 2023, Regional Combined, 01/01/2025 – 27/09/2025, Nine, Seven, 10, SBS, ABC, Average Monthly Reach, Consolidated 7.
Source: Regional Movers Index Jun 2025 Quarter Report.
Source: Mutinex, 2025.
Feature Image- Nathan Patrick, Director of Regional, Nine: supplied