Nick Bower, General Manager – Advertising Sales, Paramount Australia and New Zealand
When big TV moments happen, Australians show up. All of them. Wherever they are.
Over six million of us watched our CommBank Matildas in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Network 10. That wasn’t just a Sydney or Melbourne moment; it was felt in every postcode across the
country.
More than 3.7 million tuned in for the start of the F1 season, hoping Oscar Piastri would deliver, and then collectively held their breath when he crashed on the formation lap. Over a million of those viewers were regional Australians. That’s not a footnote. That’s 43% additional reach.
Like any media professional worth their salt, I will always fly the Paramount flag, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the cultural moments that connect all Australians, wherever they air. Like when Travis Head was taking England apart in the Ashes, the cheers were just as loud in Bundaberg as they were in Brisbane (apologies to half the media industry here in Australia).
Nine’s Winter Olympics coverage told the same story, audiences spiking well beyond the capital cities.
The point is simple: great TV doesn’t care where you live.
And here’s what’s changed: it’s not just how regional and metro Australians watch TV together, it’s how they spend time together too. Income levels, purchase intent, buying behaviour – the gap has closed.
There is no line on the map anymore.
That’s the Boomtown story. And it just hit a pretty remarkable milestone: 10 million Australians, contributing $250 billion to the national economy. That’s not a secondary market. That is four in every ten Australians.
For brands, the opportunity is obvious. A national approach to broadcast sponsorship, one that treats regional audiences as essential rather than optional, means access to a bigger, more engaged audience than metro-only buying ever delivers. And engagement is the keyword.
Our Science of Sponsorship research shows that a fully integrated sponsorship drives unprompted recall 167% higher than a standard TVC alone. Weave a brand into the content itself and purchase intent lifts by up to 46%. When the right brand meets the right moment, it stops being advertising and starts being part of the conversation.
We’ve seen it work in sport, and this year’s calendar has been extraordinary for brands wanting to connect with Australians at scale. We’ve seen it work in entertainment too, whether that’s the positive and uplifting feelings emanating from the MasterChef Australia kitchen, the familiar comfort of Home & Away, or, let’s be honest, whatever it was that Gia and Bec were
doing to each other on Married At First Sight.
The case has never been clearer. Regional Australia isn’t an add-on. It’s half the audience, half the economy, and just as invested in the moments that matter.
So, for any brand that still isn’t including regional in their plans, I’ll borrow a line from Lara Bingle, tongue firmly in cheek, and ask: “Where the bloody hell are you?”
