Mediaweek is excited to announce the next round of Sales Team of the Year entries is open. The awards are an initiative to highlight some of the high-quality work done in the industry. 

Each month, a media sales team will be selected by a rotating panel of judges as the nominee for that particular month, culminating in 12 nominees by the end of the 12 months. The judges will be assessing each team on criteria such as proactivity, strategy and execution, and client and agency relationship management.

The 12 nominees will then all go into the running to be named Mediaweek’s Sales Team of the Year. 

The form to nominate a team can be found here

The next round of judges are: 

Joe Frazer, head of growth and co-founder, Half Dome
Celia Wallace, partner, Today the Brave
Sam Buchanan, CEO, IMAA

Joe Frazer, Celia Wallace, Sam Buchanan

Key Dates for August:

Entries open Wed August 9 
Entries close Thursday August 31
Winner announced September 25

Advertising Week APAC saw flocks of media, agency and adverting industry folk make the trip to Sydney’s Luna Park. Mediaweek was on the ground, covering the event alongside Samsung Ads, and speaking to some of the event’s major players. 

As first cab off the rank, Mediaweek caught up with Brett Armstrong, TikTok Australia’s general manager, to chat about what brought him to Advertising Week.

“A few things,” Armstrong said. “One, we get a really good partnership with Advertising Week – it’s our third year partnering with the event, so it’s really important to us that we show up and we support the industry. The other thing is that there are great speakers here, we’re going to hear some really good things in these next two days. So for me, I want to make sure I’m taking all the goodness that comes from that and being a part of the team.”

Last month, Mediaweek and Samsung Ads launched a video series called Behind the Screens.

The five-part short-form series presents interviews conducted by Mediaweek editor-in-chief James Manning.

Each episode features a key player in the TV sector who shares insights about the latest trends in the sector from changing viewing habits to advertising business models. The guests have been brought together to discuss challenges, opportunities and the transformation of the TV landscape.

Guests across the series feature executives from Nine, Seven, Foxtel Media, Paramount ANZ, the IAB, EssenceMedia and Samsung Ads.

Samsung Ads is Advanced TV advertising. Its smart TV advertising solutions are built on data from millions of Smart TVs in Australia.

You can watch and podcast Behind the Screens powered by Samsung Ads.

Episode one podcast
Episode one video

Episode two podcast
Episode two video

Episode three podcast
Episode three video

Episode four podcasts
Episode four video

Episode Five video
Episode five podcast

Earlier this year, News Corp Australia announced the launch of The Growth D_Stillery, a dedicated research and intelligence service offering consumer insights to help marketers navigate brand challenges, anticipate consumer trends and understand where best to invest.

See Also: Behind The Growth D_Stillery: News Corp’s newest research and intelligence offering

The Growth D_Stillery amplifies key research insights on trade marketing platforms, and on News Corp Australia channels. As a part of its release into market, the platform has launched a series of vodcasts hosted by News Corp Australia’s director, Growth Intelligence Centre Dan Krigstein, with guests from all corners of the marketing world. 

The most recent lot of Growth D_Stillery vodcasts were recorded at Sydney’s Luna Park as part of the 2023 Advertising Week conference, and Mediaweek was on the ground to catch up with those recording episodes. 

This week, Mediaweek spoke to Melissa Fein, CEO of Initiative Australia.

Recording at Advertising Week, Fein says that whilst catching up with people from all corners of the industry certainly makes the event a lot of fun, it’s not the main reason for Initiative to have a presence at the conference.

“Outside saying hello to everyone, I love Advertising Week, because it’s got the global angle. A lot of the industry events that we do sit in their echo chamber – here I know that they’ve got a really good event so we can take inspiration from some of the other key markets that Advertising Week appear in.”

See Also: Advertising Week APAC 2023: Day one recap
See Also: Advertising Week APAC 2023: Day two recap

Sitting down to record an episode of The Growth D_Stillery vodcast was an exercise in highlighting the strengths of the industry for Fein, and a big reason she said yes to jumping on board was to combat some of the negative news about the industry.

“I’ve been really impressed not just the industry bodies that are involved in this, but also Dan at News Corp, and the way that they’ve driven a very positive growth story for the industry. We need that, I think – the industry in Australia is very good at tall poppy syndrome and putting each other down, and coming off the back of a difficult political and economic climate through the pandemic, we needed to tell that story.”

Looking ahead, Fein says that there are two particular hurdles that she believes the industry will need to combat in the near future – and both are to do with talent.

“We’re going into a very different talent crisis – we talked about finding the talent during the pandemic, I think the talent crisis we’re going into now is being able to make sure that they’re fairly compensated. Salaries have stayed stagnant through the pandemic, and I think everyone thought that coming off the back of that, we were going to be able to instil that confidence back into salary.

“What we’ve seen since then is that inflation has outpaced some of the salaries. A doom and gloom economic outlook combined with an inflationary market equals a lower level of confidence for big businesses to be able to input back into the employees. That’s something that’s keeping me up at night from an industry perspective.”

Once talent has been found and fairly paid, Fein says that the challenge becomes making sure they’re getting enough experience to begin climbing the ladder within the industry. 

“There’s also pipelining talent, what does their future look like coming out of university? We all had careers where you’d start at a junior level, and you work your way up. Automation is coming in, and we’re able to take some of those lower, menial tasks from that lower end. That’s great for those university graduates who don’t have to do those menial tasks, but then my big problem is what’s happening for those first two years. What do they do? That’s something that we’re trying to grapple with.”

When asked what she hopes viewers of the vodcast take from the episode, Fein points to one question in particular that caught her attention.

“There was a good question in there about something that I’ve heard that’s a bit B.S. around in the industry at the moment. There are headlines about agencies marking their own homework around some of the in-housing of the analytics model – and that’s something that I feel like there’s an agenda behind.

“We toyed on that a bit, which has been a bit of a hot topic.”

–

Top Image: Mel Fein

Fox Corporation has reported financial results for the three months and twelve months ended June 30, 2023. The company operates Fox News Channel, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group.

The business has survived some massive challenges that might have silenced other broadcasters. Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million on the eve of a court case about counting the votes in the 2020 presential election. Fox also weathered the loss of its key presenter Tucker Carlson with ratings remaining strong meaning again we see the brand being bigger than the broadcaster.

Commenting on the results, executive chair and chief executive officer Lachlan Murdoch said: “Fiscal 2023 showcased the very best of Fox’s portfolio while achieving record annual revenue and EBITDA. From the exceptional sports calendar that included Super Bowl LVII and the FIFA Men’s World Cup, to the record-breaking political midterm cycle and the impressive growth seen at Tubi, the power of the Fox platform was on full display. We enter fiscal 2024 with a focused strategy and best-in-class balance sheet as we continue to drive shareholder value.”

Fox: The numbers

Fox Corp reported total full-year revenues of $14.91 billion, a 7% increase from the $13.97 billion reported in the prior year. (All amounts in US$.) Affiliate fee revenues increased 3%, led by 8% growth at the television segment. Advertising revenues increased 12%, primarily reflecting the broadcasts of Super Bowl LVII and the FIFA Men’s World Cup at Fox Sports, continued growth at Tubi, and higher political advertising revenues at the Fox Television Stations, partially offset by the absence of Thursday Night Football.

The company noted other revenues increased 5%, driven by the full-year impact of the prior year consolidation of entertainment production companies and higher Fox Nation subscription revenues.

Full-year net income was $1.25 billion as compared to the $1.23 billion reported in the prior year. The variance includes charges associated with legal settlement costs at Fox News Media.

Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $3.19 billion, an 8% increase from the $2.96 billion reported in the prior year, primarily due to the revenue increases noted above, partially offset by higher expenses. The increase in expenses primarily reflects higher programming rights amortization and production costs at Fox Sports driven by the broadcasts of Super Bowl LVII and the World Cup, as well as increased digital investment at Tubi, partially offset by the absence of Thursday Night Football.

Lachlan Murdoch on Fox strategy

Speaking on the earnings call after the release of the results, Murdoch said: “These results demonstrate that Fox’s differentiated strategy continues to deliver engaged audiences at scale for our advertising and distribution partners across our sports and news verticals. While also driving exceptional growth across our digital businesses.

“In a world of increasing audience fragmentation, Fox’s collective linear and digital viewership was up 8% year-over-year. The onscreen reflection of that strategy was clearly apparent throughout fiscal 2023.”

Breaking all-time ratings records

Murdoch continued: “Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl LVII was the most-watched TV show of all time.

“Our Thanksgiving Day game was the most-watched NFL regular season game of all time.

“The US v England match was the most-watched US Men’s World Cup match of all time.

“Fox News maintained its lead as both the top-rated national cable news channel as well as the top-rated network across the entire cable eco-system and ranks as the #2 national network in all of US television.

Tubi the AVOD over-achiever

Murdoch: “On the streaming front, Tubi made its debut in Nielsen’s The Gauge, growing total consumption in fiscal 2023 by 79%, making it the #1 AVOD player with consumption levels equal to a top five cable network.

“Tubi’s fiscal 2023 was nothing short of spectacular. Underpinned by growth in total view time which in turn powered revenue growth. It was a year of increased awareness and engagement for Tubi – whether that was being recognised by Nielsen as America’s most-watched AVOD service, its expanding content library and TVT metrics, or the five Cannes Lions awards bestowed on Tubi’s Super Bowl spot.

“Each quarter during the year saw successive gains at Tubi and the fiscal fourth quarter was its most impressive of all with revenue growth of 47% driven by strong engagement with total viewer time growing by 65%. Each month of the quarter set new records for monthly viewers.

“We are looking forward to further strengthening Tubi’s position in fiscal 2024. To that end we are very excited to welcome Anjali Sud as the new CEO of Tubi.”

The revamped Fox News primetime line-up

Fox News leadership

“At Fox News Media we continued to lead in both ratings and engagement. The Fox News Channel ended the further quarter as the most-watched cable network in total day for the ninth consecutive quarter. It maintained its lead as the most-watched cable news network, beating CNN and MSNBC in both total viewers in the demo for primetime and total day.

“Fox News debuted its tweaked primetime line-up last month. We are pleased with the initial results and are confident our deep bench of talent will continue to set the standard for all news services as we move toward the 2024 presidential election.

“This past year the Fox News leadership position was never at risk. We sustained double digit advantages in total viewership over our nearest competitors for the entire fiscal year. Even during the period when our primetime line-up was in transition. Since its mid-July debut, Fox News’s new primetime line-up is up over 35% in total viewers and up over 40% in 25-54 demographic versus the June schedule.”

Murdoch explained there were plenty of highlights too at the Fox Entertainment Network: The broadcaster can boast to have the #1 entertainment telecast with Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef, #1 new drama of 2023 with The Accused and #1 new unscripted series with Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

Gordon Ramsay in Next Level Chef

Cable Network Programming reported full year segment revenues of $6.04 billion as compared to the $6.10 billion reported in the prior year. Affiliate fee revenues were $4.18 billion as compared to the $4.21 billion reported in the prior year, as contractual price increases were more than offset by the impact of net subscriber declines.

Advertising revenues were $1.40 billion as compared to the $1.46 billion reported in the prior year, primarily due to the impact of elevated supply in the direct response marketplace at Fox News Media, partially offset by the broadcast of the World Cup at the national sports networks. Other revenues increased $35 million or 8%, led by higher Fox Nation subscription revenues and higher sports sublicensing revenues.

Cable Network Programming reported full year segment EBITDA of $2.47 billion as compared to the $2.93 billion reported in the prior year, primarily due to higher programming rights amortization at the national sports networks, including the broadcast of the World Cup, as well as higher legal costs at Fox News Media.

For its coverage of FIFA Women’s World Cup Fox Sports set up HQ at Campbells Cove

Television reported full-year segment revenues of $8.71 billion, an increase of $1.03 billion or 13% from the amount reported in the prior year. Advertising revenues increased $764 million or 17%, driven by the broadcasts of Super Bowl LVII and the World Cup at Fox Sports, continued growth at Tubi and higher political advertising revenues at the Fox Television Stations, partially offset by the absence of Thursday Night Football.

Television reported full-year segment EBITDA of $1.01 billion, an increase of $662 million from the amount reported in the prior year, primarily due to the revenue increases noted above, partially offset by higher expenses. The increase in expenses primarily reflects higher programming rights amortization and production costs at Fox Sports, including those associated with the broadcasts of Super Bowl LVII and the World Cup, and increased digital investment at Tubi, partially offset by the absence of Thursday Night Football and lower entertainment marketing and production costs.

See also May 2023: Fox Corp results – Surging ad revenues, Fox News primetime and Dominion settlement

Meeting of the Minds brings together two different points of view from an industry rookie and an experienced expert.

The Mediaweek series aims to showcase their diverse perspectives, thoughts and opinions.

This month’s Meeting of the Minds sees Jules Brahe and Erfan Azyze from The Pistol reveal their leadership heroes, current streaming binge and career goals for 2023.

Jules Brahe, Business Director at The Pistol

Jules Brahe

Career advice: Take every opportunity, even if you think it’s not taking you where you thought you wanted to go.

Current streaming binge:  ‘And just like that…’ – I am an old school Sex and the City fan.

My favorite podcast/read: Podcast: Diary of a CEO with Steve Bartlett, and I am pretty heavily invested in Joe Rogan.

Leadership Hero: I was lucky enough to work at St George Bank when Gail Kelly was CEO, she knew everyone by name and would stop me in the corridor to ask how a project was going. Everyone felt personally connected to the achievement of business-wide goals.

I wish someone had told me: Actually, on this one, I am glad someone told me that we are not saving babies. Don’t lose sleep on things that really won’t matter in a couple of weeks time, just do the best you can and move on.

Guilty Content Pleasure: True Crime Podcasts and Crime TV series, Deadloch is awesome!

Best Training Course: I did a Certificate IV in HR last year, as I took over more responsibility in this space at The Pistol. I learnt so much practical info in 6 months.

My Mentor: A friend who has their own business, she always has valuable insight and offers a different point of view.

Hot Medium or Show: obviously TikTok, you can’t NOT be on it.

Fave Media Event: I am based in Noosa these days, so I attend the monthly ‘REBOOT’, a group for Digital agencies based on the Sunshine Coast.

Wish I had done that: I say yes to most things, so I have no regrets on anything – but I wish I had launched an idea I had about 20 years ago, Julie’s poolies – fancy pool lilos!

Career Goals for 2023: I just completed the Reiss Motivation Profile training, so I am keen to profile at least 50 people to see and understand peoples internal drivers and desires. I’m eager to see how this can impact their career goals.

Erfan Azyze, SEM Specialist at The Pistol

Erfan Azyze

Best career advice: When faced with an issue, try fixing it yourself: trial-and-error is how we learn, and then always share your learnings with the wider team. Not only do you develop your problem-solving skills, but you could also make someone’s day.

My favorite podcast/read: My favorite non-fiction read has to be “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker. It completely changed the way I look at sleep and has changed my life for the better.

“The Overstory” by Richard Powers was my favorite read last year. It has various storylines that intertwine with trees as its main theme.

I’m not really a podcast fan (controversial, I know).

Current streaming binge: I just finished The Last of Us, and I can’t recommend it enough. I’ll be killing time until season 2 comes out.

Leadership hero

This might be a bit left field, but Dan Barrett has been an inspiration to me! I’ve been a fan of his music for a while and later found out he has a separate life where he runs an SEO agency. He also has a great blog where he talks about how he approaches things in both his work and his personal life.

I wish someone had told me: Sometimes there is no right or wrong answer; you just need to do what feels right and deal with any consequences as they arise.

Guilty content pleasure: I’m a YouTube fiend; it’s gotten to the point where Youtube is struggling to recommend me new videos.

I’m also a bit obsessed with reading through a musician’s Wikipedia page and learning everything about them.

Best training course/session:Any training course that forces you to actually do the work, instead of just reading and listening.

Your mentor: I’ve found The Pistol to be a great place to start my career. I’ve not only learned from people with more experience, but also from people newer to the industry, I think there’s a culture of openness and authenticity that allows you to soak it all in.

Hot medium or show: Definitely TikTok. My For You Page is way too specific and accurate sometimes, but I’m not complaining.

Favorite media event: Probably the Australian Open considering I’ve attended a few years in a row now. Although I don’t think I like tennis. Having to stay silent when they’re playing is a bit silly.

Wish I’d done that: When I was at University in Malaysia, one of our assignments required us to develop and present an idea for an app. My friends and I had this app idea for booking sports venues as well as joining pick-up games.

We only had to present the app idea, and we left it at that. A few years later, I heard through the uni grapevine that our presentation was shared at uni orientation, and someone from the same uni created a similar app that’s doing well now.

Career goal for 2023: Led by my specific interest in performance, I was fortunate to be able to shape my career progression at The Pistol from an Account Management role to SEM Specialist.

So, the goal for 2023 is to gain confidence in my new role, as well as stay up-to-date with all the changes in AI and continue to incorporate them in my current role to stay ahead of the game         

The Inspired Unemployed are making their TV hosting debut, and are ready to wreak havoc when The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers, debuts on 10, 10 Play and Paramount+ on Wednesday, 9 August.

The show will see Jack, Liam, Dom and Falcon egg each other on to make absolute fools of themselves in a public setting.

With no one else in on the joke, the foursome will compete to embarrass each other in the biggest way possible, with those failing at the task given a humiliating punishment – and all the action will be captured by hidden cameras.

Ahead of the show’s premiere, Mediaweek spoke with Network EP Sophia Mogford about the hidden camera genre and what the boys bring to the network. 

Sophia Mogford

“It’s a really exciting opportunity,” Mogford says. “According to the boys, they’ve been asked to do a lot of TV before – everything from SAS through to various other reality shows, and they haven’t said yes. But they love this brand. 

“The boys have such a massive online following, and to bring that to a TV audience is a great opportunity, along with the fact that we can take them across Paramount+ and 10. The 10 audience may not have heard of them as much as the Paramount+ audience, so it’s an opportunity to bring them across both platforms.”

It’s not just the guys from The Inspired Unemployed that have got Mogford excited either, with the hidden camera format one that she’s particularly excited about bringing back to Australian screens.

“There isn’t a show on Australian television that’s hidden camera anymore. I personally love it as a format, because it allows you to play really freely. As a viewer, you’re very voyeuristic, you’re very there. It’s not a polished, produced situation –  it is behind the scenes, and you have to have all the building blocks there – but the actual show has a comedic honesty which is really unique.”

Having worked on hidden camera shows before with the likes of Hamish and Andy and the UK’s TFI Friday, Mogford says that there are some very important things that need to be nailed in order to pull off the genre. 

“People love watching that stuff because it’s real, but in order to produce it, you have to have a very strong creative vision of what you want, so that the performer can play within that framework. 

“Crucial to it all is that we need to be able to get the release form signed, so you need to have the compliance of the general public afterwards. You need to be able to explain to them what’s happened and make them feel that the joke isn’t on them, it’s very much on boys, in order to make everybody feel comfortable in the situation.”

Whilst The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers takes its name from the US show, Mogford says that the team also bring elements that make the show uniquely their own.

“Impractical Jokers in the US has been phenomenally successful – it still runs, and I would imagine it’s anticipated to run for a long time in the future. There are some learnings that you could definitely take from them, I know the production team had calls with the guys in the US, just to work out what had and what hadn’t worked for them. 

“They were able to take lessons from the US version, but what the boys brought to it is their beautiful friendship, you can’t fake or manufacture that. The fact that they all live in a shared house is not done for any sort of publicity reasons, it’s because they’re best mates – it’s a very likeable quality.”

Ultimately, Mogford says that the key to the show will be the fact that it appeals to such a wide audience.

“I know that everyone always says it, but there’s nothing on TV like this. It’s hidden camera and it’s brand new talent for some audiences – I hope that it gets the audience that it deserves. It’s really really fun television, and anybody can watch it. It’s as entertaining for a six-year-old as it is for an 86-year-old.”

–

Top Image: Liam, Falcon, Jack, and Dom

After playing several criminals in a career that spans almost three decades, Susie Porter has stepped to the right saw of the law to play Chief Inspector Sarah Craven in Paramount+’ No Escape.

While gritty characters — such as Marie in Wentworth Prison and Agnes in Netflix’s Irreverent — bring out a different side to her, being able to portray a “strong female protagonist” is something that excited her about her new role.

“I’ve always loved that there’s a strong female protagonist in a series,” Porter said during an interview on Mediaweek and Chattr’s The Entertainment Hotline podcast.

“So, I loved the fact that the female was the chief inspector because women who achieve a certain amount of status in a traditionally male job have to work hard. They have to really be good at what they do… Women who really had to fight for their place to be equal among men, and I’ve always been interested in that.”

“I love a little bit of a murder mystery and flashbacks,” she said. “And not knowing quite where we are.”

Susie Porter. No Escape. Paramount+

No Escape was adapted from the novel The Blue by Lucy Clarke

No Escape follows the story of best friends Kitty (Rhianne Barreto) and Lana (Abigail Laurie) who flee their lives in the UK and head to South East Asia on a yacht called “The Blue”. Soon the yacht is found drifting in Queensland waters with no one on board and Chief Inspector Craven is tasked with launching an investigation.

The seven-part series is based on the novel The Blue by Lucy Clarke and while some would think part of the research was to, well, read the book, Porter was advised against it due to the fact that the adaptation was “different”. 

When asked if she felt that modifying stories to suit the screen was positive, she said: “Whatever is better for the story”.

“If it’s more interesting and exciting for the story, then I think they should go with that because sometimes there is a lot of artistic or creative licence taken with certain things, so whatever makes the story better for the audience, I think is the best way to go.”

Another modification saw the stunning backdrop of the Philippines (where the series and novel are set) be re-created in Thailand. In fact, Porter — whose character was based in Queensland — also filmed her entire role in Thailand… confused? So were the cast and crew!

“We were all confused,” she laughed. “It’s sort of meant to be in Australia, but we’re in Thailand, but then it’s meant to be the Philippines, Originally, when I got the job, it was actually set in Thailand and then they changed it.”

No Escape. Paramount+

Susie Porter created her own character’s back story for No Escape

While CI Craven’s back story is not explicitly explained, Porter’s process when it comes to acting consists of “doing the work”, something she learned in drama school. For her, it means creating her own idea of what she thought her character had gone through to get to that point.

“What’s interesting for me is what you learn about human nature,” she said. “More to the point, what drives someone? The backstory I had for Craven, which never appears on screen, is that she had some tragedy in her life that then made her decide how she wants to see the world and see that justice is pursued.

She continued: “Imagine if you had lost a son through a drunk driving accident and then you go about trying to right the world of the wrongs, then that’s kind of what pursues you. I always write back stories and I always think, no one gets through life without any kind of turmoil and tragedy. It’s life on life’s terms, it’s difficult for everyone. I think that they’re the things that mark and change people, the different experiences people have been through.”

Susie Porter. Paramount+

Porter also turned to studying real-life detectives for the role including Gary Jubelin, Australia’s most celebrated homicide detective who lead the investigations into the disappearance of William Tyrrell.

“I read his book. It was just a look into practical ways of how to interview people in different ways,” she said. “And by reading his novel, I understood a little bit more about what it means to be a cop as well because it’s quite a job.”

Susie Porter learned a lot from her younger co-stars

Alongside Porter are some of Australia and the UK’s most talented up-and-coming actors and when asked whether she served as a mentor to them after being in the industry so long, she admitted that she had actually learned a lot from them.

“I worked with Abigail Laurie who plays Lana,” she said. “Wow. She’s amazing. I think I learned more from her than she did from me!

“[But] I think you learn from each other, really. I just noticed she was so organic. I think you can learn from people regardless of how old they are, or how long they’ve been in the industry.”

Abigail Laurie. Paramount+

Porter then said that there was a huge benefit in working with actors who haven’t been professionally trained.

“There’s a kind of quality that is sometimes indescribable, that comes across on screen,” she said. “I don’t know what that is but some people have it and some people don’t.”

Listen to the full interview with No Escape’s Susie Porter on The Entertainment Hotline Podcast here.

No Escape is now streaming on Paramount+.

WeAre8 has kicked off its launch in the USA with the backing of impactful charities and world-class publishers and media companies Warner Bros. Discovery, PinkNews, The Independent and LADbible Group.

WeAre8 is the world’s only sustainable social media app with a mission to unite 1% of the people on our planet to make a positive impact every day and transform the $400bn digital advertising market.

The arrival of WeAre8 app in America follows its successful release in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, where people and brands have been drawn to its ability to offer a social media alternative that is free from hate and enables collective change through its transformational advertising model that shares 60% of its advertising revenue with people, charity and climate change solutions. 

Sue Fennessy

Sue Fennessy, WeAre8 Founder and CEO, said of the US release: “Two billion of us are living in a world of social technology that connects us, but also isolates us, fuels the mental health crisis and climate crisis and undermines democracy at a time when people and society need to come together to support each other and our precious planet.

“Society and our planet need technology that serves us, and I am excited for the United States being ‘UNITED’ in a new social home that is built on community, purpose and love.”

Unique to WeAre8, people using the app can choose to watch opt-in brand videos and receive payments into their 8Wallet. People can choose to keep this money or pay it forward to aligned charity partners directly through the app.

Joining WeAre8 on its mission to unite people to make a positive impact are 16 US charity partners including Feeding America, charity: water, Save the Children, Food Rescue US, Keep a Child Alive, Save the Elephants, Project CAT, Song for Charlie, Educate Girls, Ocean Conservation Exploration and Education Foundation (OCEEF), Peace First, The Jed Foundation, Trans Lifeline, wayOUT, Daughters for Earth, and Water.org. 

Myles Markham, development manager, Trans Lifeline, said: “Many of us have experienced digital hate and vilification online, especially the Trans community. For many people, digital communities are a place to find comradery and connect with each other. It’s imperative that we create, and ensure, these environments are safe and respectful of all people, no matter who you are. With WeAre8’s no tolerance of hate and a business model that has impact and charity built in, we’re delighted to be partnering with them as they launch into the US market and look forward to growing a community for the love of people and the planet together.” 

Isaac Cudjoe, co-chief executive, Peace Firstadded, said: “When we empower young people with the skills, compassion and identity to be changemakers, we solve the world’s greatest problems. Peace First and WeAre8 are joined in our mission to elevate the voices and unleash the power of young people worldwide to create meaningful change. We’re excited to be continuing our partnership with them as they launch in the US.”

Also drawn to WeAre8 for its commitment to inclusive, free from hate content, the USA release will see world class publishers, LADbible Group, PinkNews, and The Independent contribute daily content to the platform. 

Jake Fitzgibbon, group business director at LADbible Group, said: “As the leading global social publisher, we understand the importance of using our platform as a force for good. By partnering with WeAre8, we can leverage our monthly reach of over 100 million to encourage young people to share a range of voices, opinions and experiences that will help to build a sustainable future.”

WeAre8’s launch into the US is supported by a multi-platform campaign with Warner Bros. Discovery that will see WeAre8 promoted across the media company’s vast portfolio of digital and television brands, aiding awareness among potential WeAre8 citizens and creators. 

The launch TV campaign was produced in partnership with filmmaker Sam Kolder, best known for inspiring a generation of content creators with his unique style of video editing, which has generated more than 61 million views on YouTube. 

Kolder said of the project: “When I was introduced to WeAre8, I was struck by their mission to bring positive vibes and social change to the world of digital. 

“Creatively we assembled a diverse cast of creators who not only symbolize a generation raised amidst the social media era, but they also represent a generation demanding change and reconnection to the real world. 

“WeAre8 provides a sanctuary where every individual is revered, where animosity is banished, and where the world itself benefits from the platform’s generosity—that’s the vibe we wanted to capture in WeAre8’s launch into the USA,” Kolder added.

This Way Up, the advertising festival of creativity, will explore the role of creativity in forging longstanding careers and campaign constructs in the time of generative AI as it heavily influences media planning and research.

From 15 to 17 August, a hotly-anticipated lineup of local and global speakers will be at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art to discuss and dissect the industry,

International advertising trailblazers Jeff Goodby, Goodby Silverstein & Partners San Fran, David Kolbusz, CCO Orchard NY, and Kim Pick, VMLY&R NZ ECD, tackle indispensability in the face of artificial intelligence, everything that’s wrong with advertising, and career longevity.

Additional speakers over the three days include Nick Law, professor Megan Davis, and Mirrah Foulkes.

Cam Blackley, AWARD chair, said: “To have some of the most outstanding minds in the global ad industry fly in for the second instalment of This Way Up is huge for the creative community.

“We hope our friends and colleagues in media will join us to debate how we best harness the power of creativity to propel insights, ideas, and understanding and foster the faster production of media assets.

“We’re extremely fortunate to be able to tap up famous industry names to give their unique perspective on how to navigate an industry that is rapidly changing, as part of a series of great sessions that teach how to break the rules, change minds and create your life’s best work,” he said.

This Way Up celebrates the best in creative thinking and worthwhile opinions via interactive talks, panel sessions, award announcements, workshops, industry gatherings and more, over three packed days in Sydney CBD.

In-person and virtual day passes are available for all speaker sessions. View the full schedule.

The Foxtel Group has announced a new multi-year rights extension with Matchroom – a global leader in sports promotion and production.

This continued partnership brings some of the most entertaining sports events, including the World Darts Championship, to the Foxtel Groups’ millions of sports subscribers.

Sports fans in Australia will have access to exclusive international Matchroom events, including the upcoming European Open Pool Championship, held in Germany from today.

Viewers can also watch this weekend’s NSW Darts Masters championship in Wollongong, which will be live on Foxtel and Kayo Sports as the sport’s top players – led by world champion Michael Smith and colourful star Peter Wright – make their annual visit to Australia.

Matchroom has been a partner of the Foxtel Group for over ten years, with the organisation’s wide range of sports proving popular with subscribers.

Adam Howarth, Foxtel Group head of content acquisitions, Sport, said: “Our collaboration with Matchroom has brought some memorable sporting moments to Australian audiences, and we are committed to building on this success in the future.

“With this extended deal, we will continue to provide fans with unparalleled access to the world’s best sporting events, bringing them closer to the action.”

Matthew Porter, director of Matchroom and chief cxecutive of the Professional Darts Corporation, said: “Australia has a passionate and knowledgeable fanbase, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership with the Foxtel Group.

“This agreement allows us to continue delivering high-quality sports entertainment to Australian viewers. We look forward to showcasing our incredible events and athletes to fans nationwide, with Foxtel Group’s extensive coverage ensuring that no one misses out on the excitement.”

Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers will have unparalleled access to darts, snooker and other exciting sporting competitions through this re-affirmed partnership with Matchroom.

On Monday, August 7, Nova 106.9’s Susie O’Neill made her anticipated return to competitive swimming competing at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Japan, marking her first international competition race since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

She won gold in the individual 50m butterfly race in the women’s 50-54 age group and broke the world record with a time of 29.08.

The previous best time in the 50-54 age group in the 50m butterfly was by American Erika Braun, achieving 29.14 for the 50-54 age group from last October.

Her return to the pool follows an on-air discussion in May when Susie agreed to compete at the World Masters in only the 50m mixed relay, with her fellow radio co-hosts, Ash Bradnam and David “Luttsy” Lutteral, and Nova listener, school teacher Kylie Fletcher.

This had come about following her on-air pondering about how she should celebrate an upcoming milestone birthday (turning 50 on 2 August) and her co-hosts Ash Bradnam and David “Luttsy” Lutteral, convincing her to celebrate by competing in an international competitive swim meet. 

Susie’s decision to also do the individual 50m butterfly race was a result of her participating in the Masters’ time trials at Chandler Brisbane Aquatic Centre on 18 May 2023. Susie swam in the 50m butterfly 50-54 age group race to qualify to compete in the relay – and she subsequently broke the world record in short course (as the pool was a 25m pool) achieving a time of 28.95.

It was her first butterfly competition race since the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Susie won gold in the 200m butterfly at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and silver at the 2000 Olympics. However, she won the 200m freestyle at the Sydney Olympics.

This week, Mediaweek caught up with O’Neill and discussed what it’s been like returning to the pool alongside her radio colleagues.

Read more: Why Susie O’Neill and the Nova 106.9 team are making a splash in Fukuoka

News Corp Australia’s SuperCoach, the fantasy sports franchise, has announced it is partnering with the National Basketball League, the nation’s premier basketball league, to become the official fantasy game of the sport. 

The NBL will join NRL, AFL and BBL in the expanded SuperCoach stable, which has been thrilling sports fans for almost 20 years with more than 450,000 registered players annually. 

Fans will be able to play the fun, free fantasy game, SuperCoach NBL, enabling them to test their skills against their friends and other supporters. The NBL version will include all the features from SuperCoach Plus that players love, including team optimiser, trade assist and double weekly cash prizing, plus game features like trade boost. Registrations open in late August. 

News Corp Australia’s head of fantasy sports Paul Zines, said he was thrilled to welcome NBL to the SuperCoach family. 

“SuperCoach offers a unique platform for sports fans to connect, engage and share their passion for fantasy sports, and we’re thrilled to be able to partner with the NBL to extend our brand to millions of Australians who love their basketball,” Zines said. 

Luke Travers, United, and Anzac Rissetto, Phoenix

NBL CEO David Stevenson said: “Our fans are at the forefront of everything we do, and moving our fantasy platform to SuperCoach will help deliver a better and enhanced experience. SuperCoach provides a great way for supporters to connect with the NBL and its players on a new and improved level. 

“Coming off a record breaking season, the NBL is growing like never before, making it the perfect time to partner with SuperCoach and its large and passionate fan base.” 

A massive 1.2 million Australians play basketball with the 2022-23 NBL season seeing the highest crowd attendance in almost 30 years. 

SuperCoach NBL chief columnist will be star export Josh Giddey, who made such an impact playing NBL for the Adelaide 36ers as an 18-year-old in 2020-21 that he was catapulted into NBA superstardom as pick number six for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Aron Baynes and Nathan Sobey

Giddey said: “The NBL started as a stepping stone, as an alternative to College and now it’s proven to be a legitimate path; it’s getting a lot more recognition around the world, people are taking it very seriously, ratings are going up, it’s getting a lot more imports, so everything about the NBL is just getting better and better and I’m a big advocate for it.

“I’m pumped to be associated with SuperCoach NBL because I’m excited about anything that makes the game even more engaging for fans.”

Giddey will contribute a series of pre-season and in-season articles to supercoach.com.au, providing his predictions of players to watch and lifting the lid on his SuperCoach secrets.  

The launch of SuperCoach NBL spearheads a stellar basketball season, with coverage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup by News Corp Australia’s award-winning editorial team, led by Matt Logue and Michael Randall, as well as the highly anticipated domestic season.

See also: News Corp Australia has launches KFC SuperCoach AFL

Alley Group has announced it has added three leading retail and health brands to its Australian client portfolio.

The three additions follow a period of strong growth for the digital marketing agency that includes its recent expansion of capabilities to focus on full-funnel performance and helping brands do more with less.

Following a year of strong campaign outcomes with Amer Sports brands Salomon and Wilson, Alley has been engaged to deliver full-funnel digital marketing campaigns by a third Amer Sports brand, high-performance outdoor apparel leader Arc’teryx.

Nicholas Dion, Amer Sports head of digital APAC, said: “we’re proud to expand our partnership with the team at Alley, who have proven their ability deliver campaigns that go beyond media and link campaign performance with our commercial goals. Alley has become an integral part of our Amer marketing team.”

Alley Group has also welcomed Hexclad, a premium hybrid cookware company headquartered in America and backed by celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay, to its client portfolio. Utilising Alley’s American and Australian market knowledge, Hexclad has enlisted Alley to launch the brand in Australia. This partnership reflects Alley’s history of helping innovative retail brands elevate their market presence and maximise customer conversion on a global scale.

Instant Consult, has also engaged Alley to execute a full funnel digital marketing program to increase brand awareness and drive consultation growth. Instant Consult provides a seamless platform for consumers to book online video consults with experienced medical professionals 365 days a year Australia-wide.

The agency’s recent client wins follow a transformative period for the agency as significantly expanded its digital marketing capabilities, which included a merger with Innovate Online in May 2023 to become one of market’s most comprehensive customer acquisition and retention businesses.

Nick Lavidge, CEO Alley said the client wins are a recognition of Alley’s unmatched ability to deliver precision-focused campaigns that go beyond media and deliver tangible commercial outcomes for clients.

“In this period of global growth for Alley, we’re excited to work alongside these three innovative retail and health brands to grow their market presence in Australia and attract high quality customers. The wins are a great testament to our team’s high quality strategic advice and execution at every stage of a campaign.

“At a time where many companies are under immense pressure to prove the commercial returns on their campaign spends, Alley is proud to work with the world’s top brands in driving spend-efficient campaigns that grow brand while ensuring every marketing dollar drives impact for the business.”

Alley continues to expand its footprint in Australia and the US, with a team of more than 100 and offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles.

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Top image: Nick Lavidge

Porter Novelli Australia has welcomed Victoria Fruean as its new Sydney lead, along with the addition of senior consultant Pippa Chester to its Melbourne team.

Fruean brings more than 15 years of experience to the Clemenger Group communications agency. She has worked with brands across numerous industries, including retail, property, business, telco, FMCG, manufacturing, health, and consumer technology.

As client partner – Sydney lead, at Porter Novelli Australia, Fruean will work on strengthening the capabilities of the Sydney team, driving impactful and innovative work, and growing the firm’s client portfolio in NSW.

Fruean said of her appointment: “I have always respected Porter Novelli for its stable, respected leadership, its meaningful and impactful work, and industry-leading purpose premium research.

“The leadership team’s dedication to ensuring that Porter Novelli is a fantastic place to work has been evident since I started.”

Rhys Ryan, Porter Novelli Australia CEO, said: “The role of the Sydney lead for our business is obviously critical to our growth, so we were rapt to meet Victoria.

“She has brought a calm and caring approach to leadership and consulting that aligns with our culture and has immediately benefited our clients. Our purpose statement refers to making it count, for our clients and for our people.

“Victoria certainly makes every moment count and will do the same for our people. I am looking forward to seeing her continue her career growth with us over the coming years,” he added.

The agency also announced the appointment of Pippa Chester who joins the communications agency as senior consultant. She moves from London and brings with her eight years of experience having worked for some of the UK’s biggest names in the food, agriculture, and community sectors.

Earlier this year, Porter Novelli Australia revealed it is strengthening its data breach simulation offering.

The agency noted that the impact of recent data breaches on millions of Australians has amplified the need for organisations to have a robust, up-to-date incident response plan.

See also: Porter Novelli Australia strengthens its data breach simulation offering

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Top image: Victoria Fruean

Murmur announces has been re-appointed to lead the media strategy, planning and buying account for Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City Football Club.

The multi-channel media agency has been media agency of record for the Wanderers since 2019 and will lead the account for a further three years; its contract with Melbourne City FC has been extended two more years. Murmur worked with the Club since 2018.

Dave Levett, managing director and founder, Murmur said both clubs are the sort of client partners his team love working with smart and ambitious clubs in the sporting sector, open to bold ideas that work at the juncture of strategy and media.

“As brands, we all have similar values, ambitions and a solid mission to succeed. We all think outside the square and are eager to make a difference but at the same time will not compromise on our ambitious growth agendas,” he said.

“Murmur is well-known for working with challenger brands who are not frightened to follow their quest for strong business growth. We look forward to creating multi-channel media solutions grounded on audience insight so we can identify our clients’ audiences, and reach them, no matter where they are. 

“With fan engagement a priority for both clubs, this strategic process becomes imperative to engage loyal fans,” Levett added.

Scott Hudson, CEO, Wanderers, said: “We have always been impressed with Murmur’s passion; their excellent understanding of our business plus the team’s creativity, confidence in technology and strong effectiveness record. We are excited they will continue to partner with us through our next growth phase.”

Chris Forrest, director of commercial & marketing, Melbourne City FC said: “Together with Murmur’s market-leading skills and capabilities we are confident the agency’s passion for achieving results and their smart thinking will help bring our Club’s ambitions to life.”

“We are proud to be the Wanderers and Melbourne City’s ongoing partners and look forward to continuing to deliver business growth and most importantly engage their loyal fan-bases.” Levett concluded.

Murmur Group’s new contracts are effective immediately.

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Top image: Dave Levett

Curiious has announced it has closed its latest investment round of $1 million, which will be used to accelerate product development, sales and global expansion.

Australian seed VC Galileo Ventures led the round, which included significant investments by existing shareholders.

James Alexander, Galileo general partner, said: “Galileo Ventures is excited to invest in Curiious, a company we believe is building a new category of enterprise communications software. We believe many of the behaviours and trends we see in advanced games, like rich 3D worlds and interactions, will be rapidly adopted by enterprises with Curiious becoming the centre of ‘3D enterprise communications’.”

Curiious’ SaaS platform significantly improves business outcomes through increased productivity, streamlined access to information and heightened engagement. Rich data and analytics bring customers closer to understanding their audience than ever before.

The off-the-shelf platform combines a resource centre, virtual event platform and real-time collaboration, gaming and socialisation tools into a single digital destination. The result is a cost-effective, streamlined and secure virtual HQ and experience centre for organisations to inspire and educate internal audiences, partners and consumers alike.

The investment comes on the heels of signing brands as diverse as Johnson & Johnson MedTech who use Curiious to develop and educate a variety of business critical audiences, and Peugeot who utilise the platform to engage media from over 50 countries.

Curiious CEO Michelle Schuberg

The Australian immersive tech innovator enables customers to build a connected community that stays engaged over time, making it highly appealing to People and Culture teams looking to recruit, onboard, train and retain talent. Sales and Marketing teams also use Curiious to keep media, partners and consumers abreast of their latest developments and announcements.

Customers license Curiious’ WebGL platform annually, enabling organisations to deliver unlimited information and experiences throughout that time.

The integrated functionality is set in interactive 3D environments allowing users to move freely around the digital space to participate in the varied experiences seamlessly, securely and from any device. The result is deeper, longer lasting connections with the information shared as well as with each other. Delivery can be scaled for user groups of any size and leverages adult learning best practice to drive dwell time and interaction with content and community.

Michelle Schuberg, CEO at Curiious, said: “We are thrilled to have the support of Galileo Ventures as we continue to build on Curiious’ offering as an immersive, enterprise ready communications platform providing improved engagement and actionable data to some of the world’s biggest brands. Partnering with Galileo is particularly exciting given their deep domain expertise and passion for the industry.”

Cruise line company P&O Cruises Australia has appointed Bread Agency as its social media partner following a competitive pitch.

Bread Agency will work closely with the P&O team across their social efforts including social strategy, content creation, community engagement and influencer marketing. Bread will join the agency village working on the launch of P&O’s new brand platform.

“P&O is Australia’s favourite cruise line and takes hundreds of thousands of Aussies on unforgettable holidays every year. We can’t wait to work with Bread Agency to help us entice more Aussies to come onboard through the power of social media,” said Georgia Jameson, social media manager for P&O.

“P&O Cruises is a brand loved by Aussies, so it is a privilege to be working with them to build out their social media presence,” commented Bread Agency co-founder, Mary Proux.

“From the ships, to the crew, to the onboard experiences, there is no shortage of stories to tell. We can’t wait to bring them to life so people can get a true taste for P&O cruise life.”

Bread has already worked with P&O on two major campaigns. The first was the launch of the P&O TikTok channel with four creators, including Ben & Zara, Brooke Styles, Maddie and Nona and The Brother Boys.

This month, Supermassive was named the new creative agency of record for P&O Cruises.

The agency will oversee the repositioning and relaunch of the 90-year-old Australian brand, resulting in a new brand platform, brand identity and refreshed creative output across all channels.

P&O Cruises chief commercial officer, Kathryn Robertson, “P&O, a pioneer in Australian cruising for 90 years, is proud of its uniquely Australian offering. We are thrilled to partner with Supermassive, who have demonstrated a disciplined and fresh approach to brand strategy and non-traditional thinking, that will no doubt further enhance the P&O brand.”

Read more: P&O Cruises Australia appoints Supermassive to brand relaunch

TPG Telecom has named Starcom as its media agency across the Vodafone, TPG and iiNet brands, following a comprehensive, four-month review process.

Andrew Bagot, head of media at TPG, said: “We have had a very positive relationship with Wavemaker over the last seven years and thank them for their excellent service and support for our business.

“We would also like to thank all agencies that participated in our RFP process, for their input and excellent responses,” he added.

Starcom appointment comes after the agency was re-appointed to lead the media strategy, planning and buying accounts in Australia for personal care and consumer products company P&G and FMCG giant Bega Group.

The re-appointments, effective immediately, are an extension of the long-time partnerships between Starcom Australia and the businesses, with Bega Group now a client for 17 years and P&G for the past six years.

Key objectives for the companies in their work with Starcom are to increase penetration, revenue and share growth, with the two businesses looking to improve brand salience and relevance in the market.

Starcom’s remit also includes providing eCommerce solutions for both P&G and Bega Group.

Nick Keenan, Starcom chief executive officer, said: “We are incredibly proud of the work we deliver for our clients through our People Powered Growth positioning and there is no better proof point than the longevity of our key clients.

“P&G and Bega Group are some of the biggest global and Australian brands, and there is more than 20 years of partnership history between Starcom and these businesses.

“We are proud to be their ongoing partners and look forward to continuing to deliver brand and business growth.” Keenan added. 

Starcom Australia also recently welcomed the appointments of Marcus Morris in Melbourne and Sam Down in Sydney as client services directors last month.

See also: Starcom Australia reappointed to lead P&G and Bega Group

• Drama on The Block as a secret is exposed

Total TV Ratings, August 1

953,000 watched Seven’s Home and Away where Cash’s professionalism was put to the test and Rose prepared to meet Mali’s mum, up 22%.

763,000 saw 10’s Hunted Australia as Bayan and Eesha made a fatal mistake which ultimately led to their capture and Ed and Jimi took a major risk with an ATM heist, up 31%.

671,000 tuned in for a repeat of Nine’s Travel Guides where our avid travellers soared to the USA, taking on their first-ever two-week vacation, up 10%.

666,000 viewed ABC’s War on Waste with Craig Reucassel as he took to the streets to confront everyday Aussies about the astonishing amount of food we throw away, up 23%.

562,000 also caught 10’s The Cheap Seats with Emma Holland (filling in for Melanie Bracewell) and Tim McDonald, who was joined by Mel Tracina, cricket legend Damien Fleming and Dr Matt Agnew, up 14%.

Overnight TV Ratings, August 8

Primetime News
Seven News 956,000 (6:00pm) / 908,000 (6:30pm)
Nine News 739,000 (6:00pm) / 724,000 (6:30pm)
ABC News 560,000
10 News First 204,000 (5:00pm)/ 141,000 (6:00pm)
SBS World News 135,000 (6:30pm)/ 102,000 (7:00pm)

Daily Current Affairs
A Current Affair 657,000
7.30 476,000
The Project 173,000 6:30pm / 275,000 7pm

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 248,000
Today 179,000
News Breakfast 162,000

Seven won Tuesday night with a primary share of 23.3% and a network share of 36.9%. 7TWo has won multi channels with a 3.8% share.

479,000 began their evening in Summer Bay with Seven’s Home and Away as Cash and Felicity cleared the air,  Alf asked Bree for help and Justin dropped a bombshell before, 624,000 stayed on for The Voice Australia — Blind Auditions Three. Eighteen-year-old Bella Mackenzie put her own spin on Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero leaving the coaches in awe while Jason Derulo blocked Guy Sebastian to secure 17-year-old Maree Mamalis, a Victorian teen who stood up to her bullies by performing Before I Go by Billie Eilish. Then, 333,000 watched the FIFA Women’s World Cup, France took on Morocco, finishing 4-0 and will now play our Matildas on Saturday, August 12 in the Quarter Final.

Nine’s A Current Affair (657,000) investigated a Sydney restaurant that has been taken to the Federal Court by a family of influencers who claim it defamed them by accusing them of refusing to pay for their lobster dinner. Then, 568,000 sat down for some renovation and drama on The Block. The Blockheads continued the first rooms in their houses: the studio bathrooms, and even though it was only day two, secrets and lies were already causing tension between Leah and Steph. Then, it was the season premiere of The Hundred with Andy Lee. Host Andy Lee was joined by Sophie Monk, Mike Goldstein and Ross Noble and special guest star Jamie Durie for 315,000.

476,000 watched ABC’s 7.30 explore calls for an overhaul of mine regulations after heavy metals were found in residents’ blood and rainwater and also looked at communities who grapple with where they stand on the Voice referendum. 282,000 then watched New Leash on Life. After a series of traumatic and tragic events, newlyweds Ned and Gabriella were looking for a dog who’ll give them comfort and joy. War on Waste was next as Craig Reucassel looked at the environmental cost of disposable fashion. 325,000 tuned in.

On 10, The Project (173,000 6:30pm / 275,000 7pm) welcomed Hunted Australia 2023 winners Jimi and Holly to the desk and looked at how one young family has been left devastated after a 37-year-old ‘low-risk’ father died after contracting the flu. A repeat of The Dog House Australia then followed as three-year-old Ollie and his family looked to find a forever friend in staffy puppy Tiger. 282,000 watched on before 265,000 sat down for The Cheap Seats as hosts Bracewell and McDonald were joined by Tracina, Adam Rozenbachs and special guests Tara Rushton and Jo Weston.

The highest rating non-news show on SBS was Dateline with 78,000 tuning in as the program met the Russian exiles who have fled Putin’s harsh anti-LGBTQI+ laws.