In a landmark move set to redefine the dynamics of sports broadcasting in Australia, Nine Entertainment has revealed it has secured a five-year, multi-million broadcast rights deal with World Rugby.
The rights coup not only reshapes the future of rugby broadcasting but also spotlights the country’s increasingly complex and fragmented sports media ecosystem.
From exclusive Rugby World Cup rights to Wallabies and Wallaroos test matches to Super Rugby saturation, Nine is doubling its cross-platform prowess. But what does this mean for rival broadcasters, advertisers, and sports fans navigating a jungle of subscriptions, free-to-air mandates, and digital-first experiences?
Let’s break it down.
Nine’s recent deals aren’t just big; they’re era-defining. From 2025 through 2029, Nine will become the home of virtually every major rugby event, including the men’s and women’s games.
That includes:
• The 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour
• Wallabies and Wallaroos Test Matches
• Super Rugby Competition
• The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 (UK)
• The Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 (Australia)
• The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 (Australia)
Plus the World Rugby U20s, Pacific Nations Cup, WXV Tournaments, and the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Nine will use its full media arsenal, the 9Network, 9Now, and Stan Sport, to deliver comprehensive coverage across linear TV, on-demand streaming, digital publishing, audio, and more.
“This landmark partnership is all about reigniting the love of rugby down under,” said World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson. “With Nine’s unmatched reach, expert analysis, and comprehensive coverage… we’re offering a unique and immersive destination for fans in the country.”
All 52 matches of the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup will be streamed live on Stan Sport, with mini-matches, replays, and highlights.
The 9Network and 9Now will carry every Wallabies and Wallaroos match live and free (including as part of the Rugby World Cup), bringing the game back to the masses, but also nudging audiences deeper into Stan’s paid ecosystem.
According to Nine’s CEO Mike Sneesby, the deal cements Nine as the home of rugby and “strengthens our position as the place for iconic national and international sport… across any and every platform.”
In an interview with Mediaweek earlier this year, Stan Sport director Ben Kimber praised the streaming platform’s partnership with Nine for its success: “It’s an absolute partnership with Nine. We’re a part of the same business. It’s actually an absolute strength.”
According to Kimber, this partnership not only expands Stan Sport’s reach but also reinforces a unified approach to content distribution and ad sales, providing a robust framework for both current and future advertising opportunities.
Sport in Australia used to be simple. NRL lived on Nine. AFL on Seven. Cricket bounced between Nine and, more recently, Seven. Foxtel owned the subscription sports broadcast market.
Then came Stan Sport, Kayo, Optus Sport, Paramount+, and Amazon’s quiet foray into tennis and surfing. Suddenly, watching sport in 2025 means juggling passwords and apps, or missing out.
Lachlan Gepp, who works as a media and sports rights lawyer at Addisons, explains the trend to Mediaweek: “We are definitely a more fragmented, more complicated sports rights market in 2025 in Australia than ever before. And we’re moving towards the types of sports rights markets you see in the US and the UK.”
Gepp says this evolution mirrors the rise of audience-first digital strategies, where sport is no longer bound by traditional free-to-air coverage and broadcasters are constantly looking for more content from rights holders and diverse distribution methods.
“What we’re really talking about in Australia,” said Gepp, “is the rise and emphasis of streaming platforms attached to traditional free-to-air broadcasters such as 7plus, 9Now and Stan and how they’ve fundamentally redrawn the local sports rights market.” While the big legacy players, Seven, Nine, Ten, and Foxtel, still dominate the landscape, they have introduced their digital streaming arms. They are no longer the only ones sitting at the negotiating table.
The recent takeover of Foxtel by DAZN, a foreign company that has been a stable and trustworthy partner for Australian sports for 30 years, signalled a seismic shift in the traditional pay-TV model.
For Gepp, DAZN’s takeover of Foxtel has introduced a “huge unknown” into the media landscape.
“DAZN’s record internationally is mixed; you just have to look at the recent controversy around their handling of French football broadcast rights to see that. Say nothing of their questionable financial performance in recent years and massive outlay on global sports rights.
“DAZN appears to be much more of a ‘cutthroat’ dollars and cents broadcaster and will probably be less worried about their relationships with sports executives in Australia. The AFL, NRL, and Cricket Australia would all be watching this closely,” he said.
Gepp also hinted at the prospect of even more strategic restructuring at Foxtel, suggesting that “DAZN could centralise management and production overseas and lean out the Australian operation.”
“On one hand, they may want a strong local executive team with experience handling sports rights deals in this market and legacy relationships with major Australian sports.
“On the other hand, sports rights deals are fundamentally driven by the same commercial drivers across the globe and they might back themselves to do it from London instead for cost efficiencies. The bedrock of pay TV sport in Australia is shifting under our feet wherever DAZN lands strategically,” he explained.
Add to that the digital extensions of existing broadcasters, and suddenly the sports rights conversation has morphed into a far more complex, multi-platform affair.
“Ten years ago, these digital streaming services barely existed in Australia; now they’re central to how rights are bought, sold, and consumed,” Gepp said. “That changes not just who’s bidding, but how those deals are structured and what they mean for fans, broadcasters, and advertisers alike.”
Speaking about Foxtel, the streaming giant has been playing its own high-stakes game, and doing it on foreign turf. The NRL’s American season opener in Las Vegas in March was a prime example of sports rights as theatre.
“We all know, especially with digital, you can get a very big reach, but are you getting true engagement?” Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany told Mediaweek at the time. “Vegas was like a grand final wrapped up with a magic round, a massive advertising event with extraordinary value.”
The event, simulcast across Fox League and Kayo, was pitched not just as a match but as a cultural moment and, more importantly, a subscriber magnet. As the battle shifts from broadcast to engagement metrics, it’s no longer about who airs the game but who owns the experience.
“There are so many more opportunities to continue to extend the brand, to integrate all of that sort of stuff, which our advertisers love,” Delany said. “Last year, this was our highest-rated event ever. So it’s one thing to integrate in and have brand extensions, but when you’ve got massive reach in one day, it’s a real smash-up for advertising.”
What Nine’s rugby deal clearly signals, much like Foxtel’s Vegas experiment, is a pivot towards high-impact events that capture attention across platforms and formats.
Catherine West, Chair of Nine, put it plainly: “Major sporting bodies know they can trust Nine to bring an exceptional experience for fans that builds interest not just in the event but also engagement in their sport. Rugby is living proof.”
For advertisers, that proposition is gold. Immersive, multi-platform coverage means brands can ride the highs of the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign across breakfast radio, prime-time TV, Instagram Reels, long-form newsletters, and a Stan Sport halftime show. It’s audience intimacy at scale.
As Gepp adds: “When you start to fragment rights, putting Super Rugby exclusively behind a paywall, but leaving Wallabies games on free-to-air, you create a funnel. The strategy is to build casual fans into core subscribers.”
For rugby, this is a moment of rebirth. With a decade of international tournaments on home soil and the most robust broadcast support in years, the sport may finally claw its way back into Australia’s mainstream.
For Nine, the deal is a strategic flex, combining its broadcast muscle with the agility of Stan and the reach of 9Now to create a vertically integrated sport content machine.
For fans? It’s a mixed bag. The quality, depth, and accessibility of coverage has never been better, but it comes at a cost, quite literally. Keeping up with all your favourite codes now means navigating a complex web of subscriptions, apps, and game times.
And for rival networks and streamers? The message is clear: this is a war for moments, not just minutes.
In a move that could reshape the broadcasting and media landscape, Free TV Australia has formally welcomed the Hon. Anika Wells MP as the new communications and sport minister.
Her appointment is being heralded as a potential inflection point for Australia’s free-to-air broadcasting ecosystem, especially as the sector faces regulatory pressure, digital disruption, and an ongoing battle to retain relevance and reach in an increasingly fragmented media environment.
Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said Wells’ dual role presents “a unique opportunity to strengthen vital services, which millions of Australians rely on every day, free of charge.”
Bridget Fair
Fair made it clear that free, local, and universal television remains a cornerstone of Australian culture and democracy, and she believes Wells is well-placed to safeguard that legacy.
“Major sporting events are moments when the nation comes together,” Fair said. “Whether it’s families watching a grand final or communities rallying behind our Olympic athletes, these shared experiences foster social cohesion and national pride, something only Free TV services can deliver.”
Importantly, Fair stressed the tangible social benefits of accessible sport on screen. “When young Australians see their heroes on free TV, they’re inspired to get active, contributing to healthier communities and nurturing the next generation of sporting talent.”
Free TV has outlined a number of priorities it hopes to advance in partnership with Minister Wells, including:
• Strengthening anti-siphoning laws to keep live sport accessible to all Australians.
• Removing the Commercial Broadcasting Tax, seen by many as an outdated burden.
• Implementing prominence laws to ensure free-to-air content can be easily located on smart TVs and connected devices.
• Supporting regulation of digital platforms to ensure fair payment for Australian news content.
• Bolstering the viability of regional and remote broadcasting services.
“There is important work ahead to ensure the sustainability of Australia’s commercial television sector,” Fair said. “We look forward to working closely with Minister Wells on shared priorities.”
Wells’ appointment has been broadly welcomed across the media and screen sectors, thanks in no small part to her strong voting record in support of the Australian film and television industry.
According to data from They Vote For You, Wells has consistently voted to increase financial support for the local screen sector, underscoring her alignment with cultural policy priorities that are important to broadcasters and content producers alike.
Wells has also long been a vocal advocate for public interest media, particularly the ABC.
In a 2020 parliamentary speech titled Defend the ABC, she pushed back against proposed funding cuts, urging her colleagues to consider the consequences for rural and regional communities in particular.
“Tinkering with the ABC Act and ABC Charter doesn’t help Australians living in rural and regional Australia and doesn’t constitute a plan to address the decline in local reporting,” Wells told parliament.
She went on to highlight the essential role the ABC plays in emergency broadcasting, public accountability, and holding power to account, elements increasingly under threat amid shrinking newsrooms and hostile regulatory environments.
In that same speech, she underscored the idea that the ABC is “the most trusted news source in Australia,” and warned against the cultural cost of diminishing its capacity: “We will be lesser for having tried to bring down one of our greatest public institutions.”
The pairing of Communications and Sport in a single ministry may have raised some eyebrows, but Free TV believes it represents a strategic alignment. With live sport being one of the last remaining mass-reach events in a declining linear environment, the synergies between the portfolios are increasingly obvious.
As Fair put it: “The Minister will have responsibility for two locally focused policy areas that are deeply connected in the lives of all Australians.”
In a move signalling a fresh chapter for one of Australia’s most respected media brands, the Australian Financial Review has appointed Howatson+Company as its new creative agency of record.
The partnership comes as AFR, part of Nine’s publishing division, looks to evolve its brand identity to better reflect its standing in a modern media landscape, without losing the authority and trust it has built over more than 70 years of reporting on business, finance, and politics.
Howatson+Company’s remit includes brand strategy and creative development and starts immediately.
AFR front page from July, 2024
“It was clear to us from the first meet-and-greet that the team at Howatson+Company shared our passion for the Financial Review, and had a strong vision for how we can continue to grow into the future,” said Vera Straubinger, Head of Brand & Acquisition at Nine. “We’re excited to partner with them as we embark on this next chapter and build on the AFR’s legacy for new audiences.”
Chris Howatson, CEO and Founder of Howatson+Company, added: “The AFR is one of the world’s premier news sources and to be trusted to further its influence is a very special task.”
The appointment marks a significant addition to Howatson+Company’s growing roster of high-profile clients. The agency, known for its work with brands such as the ABC, Domain and Honda, continues to cement its reputation as a go-to for brands.
This collaboration reflects a broader trend in legacy media investing in brand relevance to maintain loyalty and drive digital growth, as titles like the AFR compete not just with traditional rivals but with global platforms and niche business publishers.
In the cutthroat world of talk radio, authenticity is currency, and Mark Levy’s got it in spades.
As the new voice of 2GB’s powerhouse morning slot, following in the footsteps of broadcasting titan Ray Hadley, Levy knows exactly what he’s stepped into. But as he tells Mediaweek Australia in the debut episode of the Newsmakers podcast, he’’s not looking to fill anyone’s shoes, he’s making his own tracks.
“It’s not lost on me,” Levy says, reflecting on the weight of inheriting one of Australia’s most listened-to programs. “You wonder, will they like me? Will they hang around? But I’m not a stranger to the audience. I’ve been here for 18 years. They know me, and I know them.”
You can listen to the full chat with Mark here:
Levy’s no newcomer to the mic. Known for his work on 2GB’s Continuous Call Team and his sharp commentary on sport and politics, he brings a direct and self-described “street-smart” sensibility to the airwaves. The transition to hosting mornings wasn’t just a step up, it was a leap into deeper waters.
“I’ve always had a strong opinion,” he says. “I love football, I get to call the football, but now I get to go deeper on political issues too. That’s been both a challenge and a really enjoyable part of the job.”
Listeners tuning in between 9am and midday quickly learn that Levy doesn’t mince words, but he doesn’t shout over his guests either. “Whether you agree or disagree, I’ll always be respectful… unless it’s a ridiculous point of view. Then I’ll get a bit cranky.”
Levy’s style? Forthright, full-throttle, and unfiltered. But don’t confuse that with recklessness. He’s careful with facts, proud of his convictions, and unbothered by critics hiding behind screens.
“One thing I’m really proud of is that I put my name to my opinions,” he tells Newsmakers. “You develop a thick skin pretty young, especially if you’ve been a rugby league referee like I was. In this business, if you’ve got something to say, you’ve got to own it.”
And own it he does. Levy sees his role as part commentator, part connector, bridging the gap between public voices and the everyday Aussie listener.
There’s no diploma hanging behind his mic. Levy didn’t go the formal route, no university, no media degree, but he did go hard. “Anybody who knows me knows how hard I’ve worked. That means giving up weekends, missing weddings, missing funerals. But that’s what it takes.”
Taking over the morning microphone hasn’t just raised his public profile, it’s redrawn his personal network. “I’ve never made so many new friends,” he laughs. “All these politicians, business leaders, they all want to be your best mate now. The coffees, the lunches, the dinners…”
But Levy’s not easily dazzled. “I can sort out who’s blowing smoke and who’s not.”
That candid, no-nonsense perspective is exactly why Mediaweek chose Levy to launch its Newsmakers podcast, a new series that spotlights prominent voices shaping the media, advertising, and political landscape in Australia.
With guests who are both on-air and behind the scenes, Newsmakers dives into the people driving national conversations.
While app-based engagement continues to dominate digital behaviour, tracking the most visited websites still provides a valuable snapshot of where users are actively searching, discovering, and engaging via browsers.
It’s not the full picture but it offers meaningful insight into audience intent, content discovery, and the digital platforms shaping those interactions.
Visual Capitalist has released a new infographic highlighting the top websites globally as of November 2024, based on monthly traffic estimates from desktop and mobile web browsers.
While some findings are expected, others point to subtle shifts in how audiences are engaging with content and platforms.
Unsurprisingly, Google tops the list with 136 billion visits per month, reaffirming its dominance as the internet’s entry point for everything from product discovery to real-time news and AI tools.
YouTube comes in second at 35.5 billion visits, reflecting not only its vast content library but also its favourable treatment in Google search results. For marketers, it underscores the continued value of video content, particularly on platforms linked to search.
Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) round out the social media heavyweights, but perhaps more intriguing are the outliers and emerging behavioural patterns.
Reddit, ranks surprisingly high as a website destination rather than an app. This is largely due to Reddit content appearing prominently in Google search results, and is perhaps a result of increasing demand for human-written, experience-based responses to commonly searched questions.
WhatsApp is another standout, attracting significant web traffic despite being almost entirely designed as a mobile app. This may point to users accessing the platform’s web-based features more often for workplace or multi-device convenience.
Meanwhile, the data highlights a branding dilemma for X, almost half the users who visit x.com also continue to navigate to twitter.com, suggesting that the platform’s rebrand has yet to fully land with its audience.
While overall usage of native apps continues to dominate in terms of time spent, these website traffic patterns offer valuable context, particularly for marketers looking to optimise SEO strategies, search advertising, or browser-based targeting.
You can see the full list below.
Emotive has appointed Michelle Lomas into the new role of Head of Partnerships, which sees her lead the independent creative agency’s specialist partnerships division.
The agency’s partnerships offering works hand-in-hand with the strategy, creative and earned teams to maximise the emotional impact of every idea, from unexpected media tie-ins to brand collabs and sponsorships.
Lomas, who commenced at Emotive HQ on Monday, May 12, brings nearly 20 years of cross-industry experience spanning strategy and creativity to the position. She has held leadership roles including Head of Brand Partnerships at Ensemble Australia and MediaCom, VP, Head of Content & Social at Hearst’s iCrossing New York, and most recently, Chief Strategy Officer at audio creative studio Ampel.
Lomas said of her new role: “I’ve always believed in the power of partnerships to connect brands with people through an audience-first lens. Emotive’s purpose, to create ideas that change how people feel, is something I’ve long admired. With the right approach, partnerships don’t just support the work, they help it travel further and hit harder. I can’t wait to get started.”
She will also work closely with the leads of Emotive’s other specialisms, spanning social, talent, PR, and brand experience. These are the channels proven to punch above their weight in earned media, and are essential to making partnerships work harder.
Lomas will report to Sebastian Revell, Emotive’s Executive Strategy Partner who recently joined the agency after nearly six years at TBWA and TBWA\Media Arts Lab.
Revell welcomed Lomas’ appointment and said: “I’m over the moon to have Michelle on board. She’s whip smart, wildly versatile, and the kind of operator who’ll help supercharge our next phase of growth built around Fame Thinking, which combines our core capabilities of strategy, creative, design and earned with our specialisms of social, talent, PR, partnerships, and brand experience to unlock the emotional impact of every idea.”
Simon Joyce, Founder and CEO, added: “The launch of our partnerships offering is a big moment for Emotive and a long time coming. As traditional media channels face increasing pressure, unique and unexpected partnerships are becoming critical to maximising the impact of an idea.
“By integrating this offering from the very start and backing it with our full creative firepower, we’re solving a problem we see all too often: great ideas falling short in partnership execution. We believe this will be a genuine game changer for how our clients’ ideas show up.”
Top image: Michelle Lomas
Due to strong demand and an ongoing interest from across the industry, Mediaweek has extended the entry deadline for the Next of the Best Awards, 2025.
Entries will now be accepted until Wednesday, 14 May at 11.59pm.
The updated deadline gives emerging media leaders and creative teams additional time to finalise their submissions and ensure their achievements are recognised.
Mediaweek’s Head of Content Frances Sheen said, “The calibre of entries so far has been exceptional. Extending the deadline gives more space for those final entries and allows us to shine a spotlight on the rising stars of the industry.”
The Next of the Best Awards celebrate Australia’s emerging media talent – the stars driving innovation, creativity, and change.
Finalists will be announced in early June, with winners revealed at the live event on Thursday, 13 June.
These are not age-based awards, but open to anyone who has been working in their current field or role for 15 years or less. You can download the criteria here.
Recognising professionals who drive growth, innovation, and engagement in the audio and podcasting industries.
For professionals making waves in marketing through successful campaigns and innovative thinking.
Celebrating journalistic excellence with a focus on audience impact and storytelling.
Recognising creative talent shaping advertising through originality, campaign success, and audience engagement.
Recognising individuals who excel in the use of data and research to drive decision-making, insights, and innovation within the media industry
For those excelling in strategic marketing, data-driven decision-making, and audience segmentation.
Honouring digital creators who have demonstrated growth, creativity, and monetisation success.
Recognising rising publicists who have successfully shaped media narratives and public perception.
Honouring professionals leveraging AdTech innovations to enhance digital advertising effectiveness.
Recognising media sales professionals driving revenue growth through strategic thinking and strong client relationships.
Celebrating planners and buyers who excel through innovative thinking, data-driven decision-making, and impactful campaign execution.
Recognising emerging talents in publishing who are redefining the industry through editorial excellence, and audience growth across print and online platforms.
Recognising the talent behind the camera of on-screen content production from the big to the small screen through creativity and commercial success.
For exceptional leadership and impact at senior or executive level.
Recognising individuals who have made a significant impact in driving change, innovation, or transformation.
Nominate yourself or someone else for a Mediaweek Next of the Best Award now.
TikTok has introduced a new feature that allows creators and businesses to activate direct messages (DMs) during live streams, aiming to streamline lead generation and enhance real-time customer engagement.
This update will help viewers to initiate direct conversations with hosts while watching live content, providing a seamless way for businesses to capture leads and interact with potential customers.
By integrating Live DMs into live streams, TikTok is hoping to offer a more interactive experience, allowing for immediate responses to inquiries and fostering stronger connections between brands and their audiences.
The feature complements TikTok’s existing lead generation tools, such as Instant Forms, which allow users to submit their contact information directly within the app.
TikTok
With the addition of live stream DMs, businesses can now engage with viewers in real-time, answer questions, and guide them through the sales funnel more effectively.
This enhancement is part of TikTok’s broader strategy to support businesses in leveraging the platform for marketing and sales purposes.
By facilitating direct communication during live events, TikTok aims to provide businesses with more opportunities to connect with their target audience and drive conversions.
As TikTok continues to evolve its features to support business growth, the integration of DMs into live streams represents a significant step towards more interactive and effective lead generation on the platform.
Zip Water has appointed Avenue C as its media partner across Australia and New Zealand, following a competitive pitch process led by Tumbleturn Marketing Advisory.
The appointment includes both the Zip Water brand in Australia and Zenith Water in New Zealand and marks a major shift towards media consolidation for the business.
The independent media agency will oversee the entire communications strategy handling both paid media and collaboration with a village of specialist agencies – Eddy Agency for organic social and influencer marketing, Australian Digital for SEO, and Steve Liu for creative.
Mike Abbott, Managing Director ANZ at Zip Water, said Avenue C stood out for their clear strategic thinking and seamless integration across all media channels.
“Avenue C impressed us with their strong, integrated approach across media – from social and SEM to influencer and SEO,” said Abbott. “The team was collaborative, credible, and genuinely committed to our growth.
“Their pitch showcased a strong creative vision and a clear grasp of our business, giving us confidence that we’d be partnering with the same dedicated people every day. They earned our trust from the start.”
He added that the depth of Avenue C’s experience came through clearly throughout the pitch: “Each team member spoke with confidence and clarity in their discipline. Their insights were smart, actionable and showed a seasoned understanding of how to scale brands.
“Their collaborative energy and passion for media was evident – it wasn’t just about metrics, but meaningful growth.”
The first campaigns are set to roll out mid-year.
Paula Lopes, Digital Director at Avenue C, said the team was excited to support a brand with a dynamic and evolving consumer journey.
“We’re thrilled to partner with a business that blends innovation with purpose and has such a clear growth trajectory, both locally and globally. Zip Water’s marketing team is deeply connected to the brand and brings an exceptional level of strategic leadership,” said Lopes.
“This partnership reflects exactly what Avenue C was built for – collaborating closely to deliver fully integrated, high-impact media solutions. We’re proud to serve as their media village leader and are excited about the journey ahead.”
The win further cements Avenue C’s growing presence in the independent agency space, with a reputation for agile, insight-led media strategies that drive tangible business results.
Impressive has appointed Rebecca Den Braber as General Manager.
Den Braber joins the Melbourne-based integrated marketing agency at a time of strong growth for the business, driven by recent innovations, a growing client base and expansions to offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Austin, Texas.
As General Manager, she will help steer the agency into its next phase as the business continues its upward trajectory.
Prior to joining Impressive, Den Braber spent five and a half years at media agency Hatched, where, most recently, she was General Manager. She has also served as the General Manager of Admatic and was at Dentsu for a decade in both the Australian and US markets.
Robert Tadros, Impressive Founder and CEO, said: “Impressive is at a pivotal point as we evolve our agency operating model from siloed services to fully integrated marketing capabilities, underpinned by advanced technology and AI to power smarter, faster execution. Bec brings the ideal blend of skills, leadership, and experience to help guide this transformation.
“Her deep understanding of media, performance, and people-first leadership will be instrumental as we continue to scale and deliver exceptional value to our clients.”
Den Braber said of her appointment: “I’m genuinely impressed by Impressive’s strong culture of innovation and performance, grounded in a people-first leadership mindset.
“The growth over the past nine years has been nothing short of remarkable, and with Impressive’s evolution toward integrated, tech-enabled marketing solutions, the opportunity ahead is incredibly compelling.
“I’m looking forward to working with Rob and the leadership group to further enhance our strategic capabilities, nurture our team, and continue to build on this amazing momentum.”
Den Braber’s appointment follows the roll-out of Impressive’s award-winning SEO technology Skailed which was recently recognised at the APAC Search Awards and by the AFR Most Innovative Companies list. Hot on its heels is Impressive Labs, the agency’s strategy, training and insights product for brands with in-house marketing teams needing extra support.
Impressive also continues to grow its client portfolio adding FleetCard and CardSmart to an existing roster that includes Mattel, Space Furniture, Hertz, Lorna Jane, The Memo, Workwear Group and Mitre10.
Top image: Rebecca Den Braber
72andSunny has been appointed to develop a local brand positioning and integrated advertising campaign for Princess Cruises.
The global, premium cruise liner is looking to drive growth in the Australian market and has appointed the strategic creative agency to develop a local brand positioning and campaign that can drive brand familiarity, consideration and preference with a new generation of Australian consumers.
“We appointed 72andSunny due to their belief in Optimism and their expertise working with modern global and Australian brands and their ability to connect these with modern Australian audiences,” Nick Ferguson, Senior Director, Sales & Marketing – Asia Pacific, Princess Cruises, said.
Ross Berthinussen, President ANZ, 72andSunny added: “We’re delighted to be working with the Princess Cruises team to localise such an iconic global brand for Australian audiences. Cruising remains a much-loved experience for Australians, and we’re looking forward to further invigorating the brand.”
The appointment adds to other recent new business wins for 72andSunny, including BIG W, AFL, tech unicorn, Deputy and Cadillac. They join their existing roster of clients including Google and realestate.com.au.
Recently, MILKLAB has teamed up with 72andSunny for a live gig called MILKLAB Coffee Shop Sets – held not in a nightclub, but in Melbourne’s Project 281 Coffee Roasters.
Headlining the performance for the alternative milk brand and global creative advertising agency is Tones And I. The event drew in early risers, coffee lovers, music fans, and creators for a high-energy performance fuelled not by beers, but by brews – specifically, lattes crafted with MILKLAB’s smooth and delicious Oat Milk.
The event featured a 30-minute performance from Tones And I, free coffees and limited-edition MILKLAB x Tones And I merch, turning a simple morning into a festival of caffeine, creativity, and community.
Retail media business Cartology has appointed Robbie Lawson from Google and Sam Way from Coca-Cola into newly established senior leadership roles as part of a revised sales structure.
Robbie Lawson will serve as General Manager, Commercial and Strategic Solutions, Everyday Needs, while Sam Way will take on the equivalent role across the Food category. Both will report directly to Tony Prentice, Chief Commercial Officer, Cartology.
The appointments are part of Cartology’s updated sales operating model, which consolidates sales and support under four verticals: Food, Everyday Needs, Agency, and New Zealand. The restructure is designed to enhance client focus and drive greater value creation across Cartology’s trans-Tasman operations.
Lawson joins from Google, where he led digital transformation initiatives with a focus on customer engagement and marketing strategy. He has prior FMCG experience at L’Oréal UK, Mars Food Australia, and Unilever.
Way arrives with over 20 years of FMCG leadership experience. Most recently, he was Vice President of Digital Acceleration at Coca-Cola, where he oversaw digital commerce, AI strategy, and digital capability building. His earlier roles include leadership positions at Nestlé.
Tony Prentice said: “Our sales setup reflects our strategic vision and meets our clients’ needs to partner even more effectively across our trans-Tasman business. I’m incredibly pleased to bring the skills and capabilities of Robbie and Sam into Cartology, aligning to our ambitious growth plans and opportunities in the Food and Everyday Needs categories.”
Commenting on his new role, Lawson said: “The opportunity to help brands forge more meaningful end-to-end connections with shoppers and shape the next era of the sector is what drew me to this role.”
Way added: “Digital is now fundamental to consumer behaviour and Retail Media has a huge role to play in helping brands bridge their digital and physical strategies.”
The appointments are effective immediately and follow the recent hire of Hannah Siddiqui as Head of Intelligence and Effectiveness.
Acast has announced a new global partnership with The Athletic, granting the podcast company exclusive rights to monetise the sports publisher’s premium podcast network in Australia from 1 June.
The Athletic’s podcast portfolio, which includes The Athletic FC Podcast, The Totally Football Show with James Richardson, and No Dunks, receives more than half a million combined monthly downloads in Australia. The deal enables Acast to sell audio ads, sponsorships, branded content, and podcast video formats across the network locally.
The Athletic, owned by The New York Times, offers sports coverage across major global leagues including the Premier League, NBA, MLB, and Formula 1. The partnership adds to Acast’s existing lineup of Australian sports titles, including Hello Sport, Rugby League Guru, and BackChat.
‘The Athletic’ featured podcasts.
Guy Scott-Wilson, Content Director for Acast ANZ, said the partnership is a major development in expanding access to international sports content for Australian listeners. “This partnership underscores our commitment to premium content and gives Australian advertisers access to a passionate and engaged sports audience,” he said.
Julian Ahye, Head of Brand Partnerships at The Athletic, added that the collaboration will strengthen The Athletic’s audio advertising offering. “The Acast team’s expertise in podcast advertising, combined with its global reach, will allow us to deliver even greater value to our advertising partners and further enhance the listener experience,” he said.
According to The Athletic, 82% of its listeners are aged 18–44 and three in four have made purchases prompted by podcast ads, making the audience a valuable target for brands.
Acast operates a global podcast marketplace encompassing over 140,000 shows and one billion listens per quarter, and is headquartered in Stockholm.
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has come out swinging against an attempted boardroom coup, rebuffing a push by activist investor Sandon Capital to oust four of its directors.
In a statement on the ASX this morning, SCA said it had the backing of shareholders representing more than 50% of its voting capital and called Sandon’s actions a “considerable distraction” and an “unnecessary cost.”
The board urged Sandon to drop its proposal to remove Chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise, Ido Leffler, Carole Campbell, and Marina Go, saying the resolutions had little chance of success given strong support from major investors including Thorney Investment Group, Spheria Asset Management, and Ubique Asset Management.
SCA Chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise
According to The Australian Financial Review’s Street Talk column, the move followed a strongly worded letter from Sandon Capital to SCA’s board and top investors.
The letter criticised the company’s recent decision to resume paying dividends and its newly launched executive incentive scheme, characterising both as a “thinly veiled bid for short-term shareholder support.”
Sandon first appeared on SCA’s share register in late April with a 5.05% stake, acquired at around $0.51 per share. By the end of trading last Friday, that investment had grown almost 40%, with the share price closing at $0.71.
SCA says it’s not just support from its heavyweight shareholders that bolsters its position, but also the company’s current performance.
Recent financial updates reveal:
• Audio revenue up ~9% over the first four months of 2025, exceeding guidance.
• FY25 operating costs forecast at $265 million, $5 million better than expected.
• Plans to resume dividends for the first time in years.
• Completion of a deal to sell its remaining TV assets in Tasmania, Darwin, Broken Hill and more to Seven West Media.
Former SCA chair Rob Murray
This isn’t the first time SCA has found itself in the crosshairs. The broadcaster has seen multiple destabilisation attempts in recent years, including failed takeover approaches by Anchorage Capital Partners and ARN Media.
In March 2024, Spheria Asset Management, one of the current backers of SCA’s board, played a key role in ousting then-chairman Rob Murray, prompting his early retirement.
Australia’s fastest-growing free streaming service, 7plus, has been dealt a blow after NBC officially pulled the plug on Suits LA, a spin-off of the global legal drama phenomenon Suits.
Initially billed as a major tentpole in 7plus’s 2025 streaming strategy, Suits LA was expected to make waves with Australian audiences.
But reports out of the US, including from Deadline, confirm that NBC has scrapped the series after just one season, part of a broader culling that also saw the cancellation of Found, Lopez vs. Lopez, Night Court, and The Irrational.
The decision is a setback for Seven’s “bonfire and fireworks” approach, a strategy designed to blend always-on, high-volume content (the bonfires) with premium, attention-grabbing titles (the fireworks).
In an interview with Mediaweek earlier this year, 7plus Director of Content and Strategy Andrew Green had placed Suits LA firmly in the “fireworks” category, banking on the franchise’s brand recognition and the success of the original series’ streaming resurgence.
“It airs on Sunday night in the States, and we’ll be airing it on Monday night, just a few hours later in Australia,” Green said at the time, highlighting 7plus’s commitment to near-simulcast global premieres. The move was designed to create appointment viewing and tap into watercooler buzz.
But with the show’s swift demise, that investment will now need to shift to a different set of priorities.
Despite the loss of Suits LA, there’s no sign of panic behind the scenes. In fact, 7plus continues to outperform in the crowded streaming landscape, boasting a 43% share of the BVOD market and a 29% year-on-year jump in viewership.
The platform’s growth has been driven by a diverse content mix that includes evergreen classics, exclusive international acquisitions, and a powerful live sport offering.
According to Green, a key differentiator is that 40% of 7plus viewers engage exclusively with content that’s not broadcast on Seven’s linear channels, a clear sign that the streamer is cultivating its own loyal audience base.
“They’re coming in specifically for these bonfires and fireworks,” Green said. “That’s a very consistent number, it shows that we’re delivering a streaming experience that goes beyond just catch-up TV.”
This weekend, the top 20 films Australian box office grossed $8,170,372, down -27% from last weekend’s $11,209,550.
Thunderbolts* has claimed the Australian Box Office crown for a second week, The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film earned $3,063,151 across 490 screens over the last weekend, down -35% this weekend from its debut week earnings of $4,677,375 across 581 cinemas last weekend. Thunderbolts* has reached $272.2M worldwide in its sophomore session, according to Deadline.
Synopsis: Directed by Jake Schreier, Marvel brings together a team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) — on a mission that brings them face to face with parts of their past.
Total Australian Box Office gross to date:
Now in its fourth week, Sinners has retained its hold of number two at the box office over the weekend. The American Southern Gothic supernatural horror film made $1,182,81 after screening across 257 cinemas, down -26% this weekend.
Synopsis: Michael B. Jordan stars as twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, former soldiers who bootleg. Set in the deep South in 1932, the twins return to the Mississippi Delta with money and Irish beer to open a juke joint bought from a man and enlist their cousin Sammie to help. However, trouble follows when they face a force beyond the natural world.
Total Australian Box Office gross to date:
A Minecraft Movie has seen a -42% dip in earnings at the box office over the weekend, grossing $720,018 over the weekend, a -42% drop compared to the previous weekend’s $1,240,601 earnings.
Synopsis: A portal pulls four misfits into the Overworld, a land made of cubes shaped by imagination. To return home, they must learn the terrain and complete a quest with a crafter named Steve. The film stars Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks and Emma Myers and is based on the 2011 video game Minecraft by Mojang Studios.
Total Australian Box Office gross to date:
The Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal action/thriller has kept a steady place in the Box Office in its third week, ranking at number four and making $615,672 across 283 cinemas, representing a -33% from last weekend’s earnings.
Synopsis: Affleck plays forensic accountant Christian Wolff teams up with his estranged but highly lethal brother Braxton to track down mysterious assassins and dismantle a human trafficking ring
Total Australian Box Office gross to date: $4,284,592
Tinā continues to have a hold in the top five at the Australian Box Office over the weekend, making $541,384 across 193 cinemas over the weekend – up +1% from last week. The film premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival on 8 October 2024 and was released in cinemas on 27 February 2025.
Synopsis: Tinā follows Samoan teacher Mareta Percival, a substitute teacher coping with the loss of her daughter in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. She takes a position at a private school and starts a student choir.
Total Australian Box Office gross to date: $2,065,958
6. OCEAN with David Attenborough
7. Clown in a Cornfield
8. Guru Nanak Jahaz
9. The Chosen: Last Supper (S5 Part 2)
10. Pride and Prejudice (2005) R/I
But as Joseph Carbone reports in The Australian, what worked for Boris flopped in Brisbane, with Peter Dutton not only losing the election, but also his own seat.
While both major parties flooded platforms in a bid to court younger voters, the Coalition’s content, a mix of meme-heavy chaos and tone-deaf gimmicks, missed the mark.
As Nick Wilson writes in The Daily Mail Australia, Wilkinson told a crowd in Taree that three executives had read her speech praising Brittany Higgins before she took the stage, yet none took responsibility when the backlash hit.
For the first time, YouTube creators and gaming insiders will share the stage with traditional broadcasters to explore the future of kids’ entertainment.
As David Knox reports in TV Tonight, heavy hitters from around the globe are also locked in, including executivess from the BBC, ITV, CBC, Amazon Kids+, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
As the new voice of 2GB’s powerhouse morning slot, following in the footsteps of broadcasting titan Ray Hadley, Levy knows exactly what he’s stepped into.
But as he tells Mediaweek Australia in the debut episode of the Newsmakers podcast, he’’s not looking to fill anyone’s shoes, he’s making his own tracks.
As Sarah Patterson writes in Radio Today, The agreement covers both audio and video, giving Acast the keys to monetise one of the most diverse sports podcast line-ups around.
From F1 to footy, The Athletic’s shows like The Totally Football Show, No Dunks and The Race F1 Podcast have already built strong Aussie fanbases.
As Angelica Snowden writes in The Australian, the claim, brought by former Brookfield execuive Josh Raffaelli, alleges Cbus lost out on $US25 million in potential gains when a planned investment was slashed without proper cause.
Raffaelli says Brookfield’s private equity boss downgraded the xAI investment from $US25m to just $US5m, redirecting it to a different fund, despite Cbus being signed up to both.
He’s not alone, over 97 million players log in daily, nearly half of them under 13, turning the game into a multi-billion dollar playground powered by virtual cash.
As Jackson Ryan reports in The Guardian Australia, with users averaging $25 a month, concerns are mounting over how in-game purchases are marketed, and how young users understand them.
As Kyle Laidlaw writes on TV Blackbox, the petition argues for preserving local content laws to ensure creators’ rights are upheld and audiences keep seeing their own stories reflected on screen, rather than just global hits.
SPA also renewed pressure on the Australian Government to introduce content quotas for streamers, warning that continued delays are leaving the local industry in limbo.
He’ll replace outgoing CEO Brendon Riley, overseeing assets like data centres, towers and a $1.6 billion fibre network, ironically, one Microsoft signed on to use last year.
As Jared Lynch writes in The Australian, Worrall officially starts on September 1 and will report directly to Telstra CEO Vicki Brady.