Sizzling HOT

Media agency

Dentsu Media

Past Hot List agencies have had a new business-winning steak with incredible momentum, market acclaim, and award success. However, in this case, I think Dentsu Media should be recognised for its vital retention of the Woolies business. Woolworths’ billings are estimated at $100+ million plus another competitive holding company with production affiliations behind the scenes was lobbying hard … I am sure there were major politics at play. I think this is a pivotal moment for the Dentsu agency group/leadership and hopefully puts them in a good position for future market success and growth.

Creative Agency

The Monkeys

You are sizzling hot when you pick up the Titanium Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions for Tuvalu: The First Digital Nation! What a brilliant well-deserved accolade on the world stage for The Monkeys that set new benchmarks for creative inspiration. Their client list is blue chip with recent work for Macpac, Qantas, Telstra, and Supercheap Auto continuing to deliver provocative ideas that drive client growth and more importantly results.

The Monkeys at Cannes Lions

HOTTEST

Media Agency

OMD

According to COMvergence latest global report OMD stays at the top of the global billings report and locally always delivers for some of the country’s most prestigious clients. For example, Telstra, McDonald’s, NSW & VIC Government, Qantas, Coles, etc. Their undisputed consistency and powerhouse performance are hot indeed. Plus, the recent win out of Brisbane for AMart is another testament to their success.

Team OMD

Creative Agency

Howatson+Company

This hot indie definitely punches above its weight and its success at the Cannes Lions taking out the Independent Agency of the Year for Good award plus a number of Silver/Bronze Lions was further proof of the world stage of their creativity. Once again a very impressive client list including Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Belong, TK Maxx, MYOB, Doordash, Matilda Bay, etc.

HOT

Media Agency

This Is Flow

With Jimmy Hyett taking out the inaugural Grand Prix Award at the Mediaweek Next of the Best, the agency continues its hot run. The recent win of Australian Payment Plus (BPAY, EFTPOS, NPP, etc.) caps off an impressive list of wins e.g. Air Asia, A2 Milk, etc.

This Is Flow

Creative Agency

Thinkerbell

Reimagining iconic campaigns with a fresh and contemporary appeal is not easy however Thinkerbell continues to bring the measured magic for Vegemite celebrating 100 years of Happy Little Vegemites. It has also done it for Tooheys with more magic and stretching creative boundaries with brilliant results for Dan Murphy’s, Repco, Lion, Bega, etc.

Thinkerbell

See also: Sparrow’s recent Hot Lists

Doing some good work and kicking goals? We are happy to hear from you – send details to [email protected].

Criteria for making the Mediaweek Hot List
• New business success
• Current client retention
• Momentum
• Industry acclaim and buzz

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 Tyler Greer and Adam Pinto from News Corp Australia reveal their leadership heroes, current streaming binge and career goals for 2023.

Tyler Greer – General Manager Client Strategy, Solutions & CPM Newsamp VIC, SA & WA

Tyler Greer

Best career advice – “The work always wins”. I have no idea who said it, and it’s possible I made it up myself (if it turns out I did, and you use it, please credit me). It’s slightly utopian but, by god, I gotta believe it.
 
My favourite podcast/read – For podcasts, I move between geo-politics and footy and tend to believe footy holds the more strategic thinking. As for reading, it’s mostly fiction.
 
Current streaming binge – I just started the Arnie doco on Netflix because I can relate to his drive, charisma, and enormously muscular physique. 
 
Leadership hero – Single person heroic leadership is a little out of vogue right now but in my view people follow people, and a singular leader can make an enormous difference to a team. I won’t name them, but at News I work with a couple of the best leaders I have ever seen, both above and below me. I learn something from them daily.
 
I wish someone had told me – That, for someone like me, spending 18 months trying to learn Excel was a total waste of everybody’s time.
 
Guilty content pleasure – I’m currently fixating on UFO footage. And if the conspiracy theories are to be believed these highly advanced, big-brained intergalactic travellers are, unsurprisingly, bald-headed.
 
Best training course/session – Clarety coaching by Clare Robinson has stuck with me because I learned a lot about myself, where I fit into teams, and how to build a great crew around me.
 
Your mentor – My father is an architect and he taught me how to look at ideas as the coming together of many parts into a whole. But so far as learning from others goes, I try to get as much as I can from young people and the way they view the world, which is generally more culturally plugged-in, optimistic and technically (especially in Excel) proficient than mine.
 
Hot medium or show – You’re asking a bloke whose greatest earthly pleasure is to spend 3 hours on a Saturday wandering the weekend newspapers. That said, shoppable content is the biggest and most interesting story in media and has barely begun to make the impact it surely will.
 
Favourite media event – This year I made my acclaimed debut at Cannes in Cairns. As a networking event, it was hard to beat – though Peter Zavic’s induction into this year’s Media Hall of Fame might give it a good shake. But what I really love is a proper long lunch with clients. Though increasingly rare and costly, they are hard to beat.
 
Wish I’d done that – The large out-of-home billboard at St.Kilda Junction for CUB that read “Brewed locally, just 3 hours up Punt Road”. A genius example of a sense of place.
 
Career goal for 2023 – The same career goal as every year: trying to make sure the vision I hold is not pure madness and can be brought to life. Cause the work always wins. 

Adam Pinto – Client Strategy Director, Newsamp VIC, SA & WA – News Corp Australia 

Adam Pinto

Best career advice – Tolerate discomfort. It will allow you to play with problems longer without feeling the need to solve them, which often means you come up with more original solutions.

My favourite podcast/read – It may be very Americana, but I’m enjoying the irreverence of geopolitical strategist, author and podcaster Peter Zeihan. He is an expert in global energy production, demographics and national security so he shares a really interesting, and freakishly accurate view on how the world works.

Current streaming binge – I’m about 13 years late to the apocalypse, but The Walking Dead is getting a good run at my place. As a parent of toddlers, I feel connected to the show’s themes of conflict, being pushed to the limits, and navigating a world of chaos and yuckiness.

Leadership hero – My older sister Crystal. She runs her own retail business 7 days a week. Has built an upcycled, vegan-friendly handbag and accessories brand on her own called STL. Is a mum of three very active and super bright children, one with special needs. And on top of all of that, she is the primary caregiver and helper to our parents. I don’t know anyone that is as hard-working, supportive and galvanising as she is.

I wish someone had told me – To take my annual leave more consistently over my career. I always waited till I had somewhere to travel, when I should have been taking it to simply unplug and unwind.

Guilty content pleasure – Doomsday prepping. Everything from reading lists of things to pack the car with when you need to get out of town in a rush, to looking at secluded properties on REA that sit outside of a nuclear blast radius and have plenty of fresh water supply….. I blame TWD and Zeihan for this!

Best training course/session – A few years back I made it into national selection for Young Lions, where we were all put into presentation training with a guy that can only be described as one of those super jacked, pyramid scheming, TikTok life coaches. Within the first 10 mins of meeting him he took us to a busy lunch spot in Sydney and handed each group a topic on a strip of paper.

Mine was ‘Why men should be allowed to wear shorts to work’, noted; an easier sell in modern times. After we each got our topic, without warning, and zero F’s to give, he jumped up on top of a table, started clapping and screaming at the hundred or so people in the area. Commanding each of them to listen in because we had something important to say.

We then had to join him on the table and present our case as loud as we possibly could. It was terrifying and humiliating, but hands down the best presentation training I have ever done. The rest of his 2 day workshop was a little more textbook, but built on the fact that any presentation we do moving forward, would never be as scary as that.

Your mentor – The other guy in this feature. Tyler Greer. He is that irritatingly smart and provocative mentor that all strategists need in their life. A simple question from Tyler can challenge you in ways you had never conceived, either fanning the flames of your inner creativity or reminding you to pull your head out of your own arse. He is thoughtful and considerate, always available to support and most of all hilarious, which has made working with him for so long tolerable.
 
Hot medium or show – News Corp Australia’s total commerce shoppable experiences suite which turns ads, content and even editorial coverage into your new retail shopfront.
 
Favourite media event – Media Hall of Fame. x10 when Swifty hosts it.
 
Wish I’d done that – It’s a long list made up of jobs, adventures, hobbies, investments, people.
 
Career goal for 2023 – Firstly I would like to meet as many of the strategy community in Melbourne as possible over the next few months and learn all about them and their clients. I think I have a lot of value to add from over 10 years working in agency strategy teams. Then before the year is out I’d like to see the News Corp Australia Newsamp team stand side by side with some of those magnificent agency people on media awards night. That would be a boost! 

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Top image: Tyler Greer and Adam Pinto

Landing the right person for your role is hard enough, but throw in a talent shortage, skyrocketing salaries, and the need to spend time actively tracking people down, and you have quite a daunting task.  A new career platform designed with the Australian advertising industry in mind, Advertising Industry Careers (AIC) aims to help connect the right job hunters and graduates to the right businesses and jobs.

Founded by CEO Adam Elliott and COO Owen Joyce, AIC is set to launch in October. There are some big names already on board with AIC – Network 10, Nine, Mediabrands, UM and Initiative to name a few– as well as a number of smaller brands like Ryval Media, Oxygen360, and Principle Media Group.

Mediaweek caught up with Monique Black, head of talent acquisition at Mediabrands, to chat about her experience hiring talent and what AIC will provide the industry.

“The last 12 to 18 months have been extremely difficult,” Black says, reflecting on what it’s been like to hire people over the last year or so. “There’s been a real shortage of people in not every skill set, but most of them – and we’ve had to do a lot of headhunting. Salaries have been driven up, because that paucity of talent has made a lot more competition. It’s been a very challenging talent market, probably post-Covid lockdowns.”

The hurdles in place for people looking for talent don’t look like easing up any time soon either, with Black pointing out that wider global factors have had a major impact on the local job market – and that “Everyone’s facing the same problems across the industry.”

AIC founders Adam Elliott and Owen Joyce

“Pre-Covid, roughly 40% of talent came from in the industry came from overseas. So when that got shut down, it really complicated things. 

“We’re entering into a new economic cycle, and that has changed things a little bit as well. We’re still waiting to see how that plays out over the coming months, but there’s still a real need to proactively seek people out. There’s not a lot of ad response, except at the very junior entry level. So you’ve got to contact people to explain what the role is, explain what the industry is, or explain what your company is. That’s a very time-consuming activity.”

As an early adopter of AIC, Black says that the service the platform will provide is more than just a place to advertise available positions – it will provide a place for potential employees to find out all about the ins and outs of a company before signing up.

“What we’ve come to realise is that there is no one central place for the industry to go to to look for work. People will go to LinkedIn, or Seek, or Indeed – there are all these sites out there – but no one of them is really brilliant for the industry. For us to have a destination where you can go and look at what jobs are available, but also find out more about the industry and the players in it, is brilliant.”

It’s not just fresh graduates that the AIC platform is set to benefit either, with Black also focussing her attention on those looking to change things up in their careers.

“One of the things that the MFA is very involved in is career changers, and how can we attract people from other industries who don’t necessarily know a lot about the industry, but have the sorts of skills that translate. Somewhere they can go to find out about us and to see what jobs are available, I think will be something quite valuable. There’s no central place to do that right now.”

According to Black, the key to making AIC as useful to the industry as possible lies in the number of people who get on board – competitors or otherwise. 

“For it to be successful, it needs to be adopted by a large number of industry players. I would hope that for Mediabrands, being one of the larger holding companies, hopefully we’ll be able to kick off that level of interest. I know there are already others involved, so I think it’d be great to see the wider industry adopt it. 

“It will help all of us, ultimately – even though we’re in competition with each other, we need everyone to get involved to make this a useful place, which will help the industry overall. A lot of the discussion led by the MFA over the last 18 months is about how we, as an industry, improve our access to talent and the development of talent. This is one of those things that I think could really help it.”

See Also: AIC: The career platform designed for the Australian advertising industry

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Top Image: Monique Black

On Tuesday July 18th, the QT Gold Coast opened its doors to the fifth Ministry of Sport Women In Sport Summit. The conference brought together people from every corner of the sporting world to celebrate and elevate women’s sports, all focussing on this year’s theme: Face your Identity.

Ahead of the day’s official proceedings, a welcome breakfast held by Kayo saw Fox Sports host Jess Yates sit down with Queensland Firebirds captain Kim Ravaillion and Gold Coast Titans player Jaime Chapman. The trio spoke about what it means to be a woman in sport, and what sort of balances and sacrifices need to be made to become a professional athlete.

Jess Yates with Kim Ravaillion and Jaime Chapman

Welcoming everyone to the Summit was an AI named Wisi, the event’s MC. Then Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk took to the stage to give the opening address, highlighting all the ways that the state had worked to become a key location for women’s sports. Referencing Field of Dreams, Palaszczuk told that room that they had found that “if you build it she will come – and she will bring her friends.”

Meet ‘Wisi’, the AI MC

The first panel of the day was then hosted by Tracey Holmes, chatting to Palaszczuk, Anika Wells (Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport), and Sarah Styles (Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation in Victoria).

The scheduled proceedings for the panel were pushed back, instead with Holmes opting to focus instead on the breaking news – that the Victorian Government had announced the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. 

The panel agreed that the move would be “disappointing” for the athletes looking to represent their country on home soil, but Palaszczuk shot down any suggestion of the Games returning to the Gold Coast, saying that the state is instead focussed on the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Tracey Holmes, Annastacia Palaszczuk, Anika Wells, and Sarah Styles

Next up were Georgine Roodenrys and Felicity Wilson from Deloitte, who gave audiences an insight into the data behind women’s sports, and where Australia sits in the world. Whilst some of the stats were positive – 360 million viewers watched the 2022 Women’s European Championship for football – others were less so – like the fact that male athletes still earn an estimated five times more than female athletes in terms of sponsorship deals alone. 

Jessica Smith OAM then took to the stage to tell her story of being a female athlete with a disability. Born without one arm and having suffered severe burns as a toddler, Smith told the audience all about the hurdles she had faced during her swimming career, culminating in the 2004 Paralympic Games. 

Jessica Smith OAM

The final panel of the morning was hosted by former forensic psychologist Graziella Thake, who spoke with Dara Mclean Korn, Belinda Woolford, and QLD Indigenous athlete Ramone Close about the line between cult and culture when it comes to sport. 

The day then broke for lunch, and returned with a series of sessions over multiple streams, making for an inspiring and informative day supporting women’s sports.

After the hype earlier this week surrounding Jackie O and Gemma O’Neill’s new tour venture besties, the KIIS 1065 breakfast co-host has revealed the first guest.

besties will be touring Gwyneth Paltrow in late October this year. Tickets start at $100 for a seat in the ICC Darling Harbour venue. Pay a little bit more and you will get a photo with the superstar – and Gwyneth Paltrow too if you want. The cost of a special VIP Package has yet to be revealed, but the benefits are:

• VIP separate entry
• Best seats in the house
• Exclusive Cocktail party post-event with Jackie and Gwyneth where you’ll have a meet and greet with Gwyneth Paltrow including a group photo.

Although the new event promoters are taking a commercial risk, they should be able to fill the Sydney venue with help from the marketing firepower from their connections. In addition to the Kyle and Jackie O audience, other media will be all over what Jackie is up to. Moments after the announcement of Paltrow was made, Kyle and Jackie were live on Sunrise this morning talking up the event and recalling their past association with the actress-turned-entrepreneur.

Kyle and Jackie O talking up besties on Sunrise

Paltrow is a CEO, wellness guru and philanthropist in addition to being an Academy Award, SAG Award, Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award winner.

The first bestie live event will feature Paltrow talking with Jackie O onstage on Friday October 27, 2023.

besties is promising that the “effortlessly cool” pioneer in the health and wellness space will give the besties audience an intimate insight into her life – from Hollywood, to consciously uncoupling, running a global business and everything in between.

“Sharing stories with other women is one of my favourite things to do. It bonds us, lifts us all up and lets us celebrate what makes us all special. I’m so looking forward to coming to Australia with besties to do just that,” Gwyneth said.

Talking about their first guest, bestie co-founders Jackie O and Gemma O’Neill said: “We’ve always been in awe of Gwyneth, her business ethic, willingness to take the road less travelled and her appetite to take risks. She is so gracious, funny, smart and so much fun. We can’t begin to tell you how excited we are that Gwyneth Paltrow is coming to Australia for besties to share all her stories.”

Tickets start from $100 and are available for pre-sale on July 26th by registering at www.besties.au and general on sale, July 27th via www.ticketek.com.au

See also: Jackie O reveals new side hustle with manager Gemma O’Neill – besties

“besties with Gwyneth Paltrow”

Date: Friday October 27^th, 2023 

Time: 7pm

Location: Aware Super Theatre, International Convention & Exhibition Centre, (ICC) Sydney (14 Darling Dr, Sydney NSW 2000)

Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au

PRE SALE: July 26^th – register at www.besties.au

GENERAL ON SALE: July 27^th – www.ticketek.com.au

Ticketek direct link.

Triton Digital has released the latest ranking of podcasts in Australia, with Hamish & Andy again claiming top spot. The LiSTNR duo have grabbed the #1 ranking on both the Australian chart and the overall ranking of all podcasts available.

The rest of the top five is unchanged from last month too – Casefile True Crime, Mamamia Out Loud, Shameless and The Imperfects.

Moving up the ranker

There were a number of impressive performers crashing their way into the Top 20. Moving up 30 spots or more were News Corp Australia’s The Teacher’s Trial (#53 to #14) and Nine Radio’s Hannah’s Story (#45 to #15).

Also climbing into the Top is Nine Radio’s Ben Fordham Live (#36 to #18).

Podcast Ranker: LiSTNR performance

LiSTNR has noted it retained its #1 position for the first half of 2023 as Australia’s largest podcast network with more than 8.104 million listeners, and 19 podcasts in the top 50 of the Australian Podcast Ranker.

Hamish & Andy is once again Australia’s #1 podcast and the most listened to comedy podcast, with an audience of almost 1 million listeners.

7am from Schwartz Media once again was the #1 news podcast in the Top 150 Australian Podcast Ranker.

The LiSTNR network boasts five podcasts in the top 20 with Hamish & Andy, 7am, Crime Junkie, SmartLess, and Morbid.

Several of LiSTNR’s podcasts saw large listener increases during June, including The Footy with Broden Kelly, which jumped 28 spots, Levels Podcast (up 26 spots), Triple M Sydney’s Mick and MG in the Morning (up 21 spots), Something was Wrong (up 18 spots) and CommSec Market Update (up 14 spots).

The highest new entry on the chart this month was News Corp Australia’s Mother’s Guilt.

iHeartPodcast performance

ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network Australia reports it is the #1 publisher for the 38th consecutive time with over 20 million downloads, almost double that of its nearest competitor, dominating the June Australian Podcast Ranker with five of the top 10 podcasts.

ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network Australia is home to Audioboom’s Casefile, the popular true crime podcast, which has 2.4 million monthly downloads and 834k listeners to maintain the #1 crime ranking.

Other highlights are The Imperfects holding the fifth spot overall in the ranker, (#1 Health & Wellness), The Kyle & Jackie O Show hold strong with over 2m downloads over the month of June, Life Uncut with Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne at #8 overall (#1 Relationship), and Stuff You Should Know which sits #9 (#1 Knowledge).

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See also: May Podcast Ranker: Hamish & Andy reclaim the top spot

The Seven Network announced the appointment of Lucio Ribeiro to the newly-created role of director – digital marketing and innovation, effective 1 August.

Reporting to Seven’s chief marketing and audience officer, Melissa Hopkins, Ribeiro will be responsible for all digital marketing and innovation, including driving new avenues for Seven to connect with audiences. He will work closely with Larissa Ozard, Seven’s director marketing – Brand, Product and Trade, and the rest of the Marketing and Audience team.

A pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence applied to marketing and advertising, Ribeiro is one of Australia’s most respected, awarded and innovative digital executives.

Ribeiro joins Seven from Optus, where he was director of technology, innovation and activation. In that role, he was responsible for technology and digital innovation for Optus as well as the development and deployment of new opportunities in emerging technology, including 5G, VR/AR, driverless cars, cloud gaming and generative AI.

Hopkins said: “Lucio is not only one of the most capable and accomplished executives I’ve ever met but he is also an incredible team player and charismatic leader. I’m so excited he has agreed to bring his expertise to Seven, and I’m confident his knowledge will be a game-changer for how we connect with Australia and will ensure Seven remains the heartbeat of Australia well into the future.”

Lucio Ribeiro and Melissa Hopkins

“The digital acceleration of Seven is gathering pace. We have big ambitions, and the creation of Lucio’s role reflects our commitment to having our eyes set firmly on the future, getting even closer to our audiences and delivering incredible results for all our partners,” she added.

Ribeiro said of his new appointment: “I am energised by the challenges and opportunities for Seven in the media sector and the extent to which my marketing and technology skills will be applied.

“After the first meeting with the leadership team, I was already confident that Seven is positioned for greatness and innovation, with the support of strong leaders, premium content and a ‘tech playground’ where we can make magic happen. Seven and its audiences are evolving rapidly, and now is a great time to become part of that.”

Having been elected one of the most influential online marketers in the world by Marketing Today, Ribeiro is an MIT graduate in artificial intelligence, and the co-founder of digital agency Online Circle Digital, which he sold in 2019. He is also a scholar of The Marketing Academy and has lectured on digital marketing and AI at RMIT University and Deakin University. 

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Top image: Lucio Ribeiro and Melissa Hopkins

Taboola has renewed its exclusive partnership with Seven West Media (SWM).

Following significant growth across SWM’s digital platforms under the initial multi-year deal, SWM has renewed its partnership with Taboola, signing for another multi-year term.

SWM and Taboola’s partnership began in 2020 to enhance activation opportunities across its digital assets, including 7NEWS.com.au, The West Australian, PerthNow and numerous regional titles. The partnership included the roll-out of several Taboola platforms and tools to allow SWM to maximise traffic, grow its subscriber base and increase audience engagement.

SWM is one of Australia’s most prominent media companies, with a market-leading presence in content production across broadcast television, publishing and digital.

In its initial partnership with the platform, the company rolled out Taboola’s content discovery platform and Taboola Feed products to enable more personalised content and prioritise the user experience.
 
SWM also uses Taboola Newsroom to provide its editorial teams with actionable, real-time data about content performance, as well as unique insights on trending topics. Taboola’s Audience Exchange tool has also been utilised, offering infrastructure to help SWM manage and optimise the flow of traffic across its network.

Evadne Janeke, SWM head of commercial product, said: “Taboola has delivered on its goal of strengthening our digital portfolio and market offering. We’ve seen a significant increase in traffic and audience engagement across our leading digital news platform, and we’ve been able to use Taboola’s insights to deliver more organic, branded content that connects and appeals to our audience.
 
“We’re looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Taboola as we continue to grow our digital footprint. Another great example of partnering for growth.”

Adam Singolda, founder & CEO of Taboola, said: “We are delighted that we’ve been able to deliver such strong results for SWM. Over the past three years, we’ve established a robust partnership and worked together to drive growth and revenue across SWM’s various digital properties.”
 
“SWM’s decision to re-sign with us affirms their immense satisfaction with our offering and its ability to deliver powerful insights for premium publishers and content creators. We’re looking forward to the next stage of our journey with SWM and continuing to enhance and expand their digital platforms.”

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Top image: Adam Singolda

The Foxtel Group has announced its extended its multi-year, multi-platform agreement with ESPN to continue to serve the Foxtel Group’s millions of sports subscribers with ESPN’s best-in-world sports programming on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

The agreement builds on the 21 years of programming arrangements between the Foxtel Group and ESPN, which has been providing world-class sport to Australian audiences since 2002.

The international sports entertainment brand boasts the most comprehensive set of rights to elite United States leagues – such as the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), UFC and all marquee events across US College Sports – with this agreement ensuring select matches will be available to Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers each week during those seasons.

ESPN is also Australia’s ‘Home of Hoops’ through its rights to the NBA, National Basketball League (NBL), FIBA competitions (including the upcoming 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup), WNBA, WNBL and US College Basketball.

In addition to enhancing Foxtel Group’s live sports offering, ESPN also provides access to a huge volume of original programming, including flagship studio shows like SportsCenter, First Take, Pardon The Interruption, NBA Today and NFL Primetime, along with documentaries and special features, including ESPN Films 30 for 30 catalogue.

Rebecca McCloy, Foxtel Group executive director – Commercial, Sport, said: “We are proud to be the home of Australia’s biggest and most popular sports through Foxtel and Kayo Sports – it’s great news for our millions of sports subscribers that this deal will ensure they continue to have access to the best of ESPN’s world-class sports.

“We know how popular ESPN’s coverage of sports like the NBA, NFL and MLB is with our subscribers. This deal complements long-term rights agreements we have with the National Rugby League, Cricket Australia, the Australian Football League, Supercars Australia, the PGA of Australia, Netball Australia and many others – which show that we truly are the home of Australia’s most popular local and global sports.

“These rights, and the strength and quality of coverage from Fox Sports and partners like ESPN, is continuing to drive the growth of our award-winning streaming service Kayo Sports – which now has more than 1.3 million subscribers,” McCloy.

Kylie Watson-Wheeler, The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand senior vice president & managing director, said: “We are pleased to extend our long-standing relationship with Foxtel Group. This multi-year deal provides Australian sports fans with access to a comprehensive slate of ESPN programming, including our award-winning films, flagship studio shows and extensive major sport properties.

“ESPN is the global sports leader with coverage of the world’s biggest sporting events, like the 2023 NFL Super Bowl which delivered a record-breaking audience for the network locally. Viewership is growing strongly across NBA and NFL programming and attracting a highly desirable audience aged 39 or younger.

“Australians clearly love their sports and have an ever-growing appetite for the US major leagues, which makes ESPN programming so highly viewed and valued across all platforms it is delivered.”

As the home of the NRLW, Nine’s commitment to growing the 2023 season – which kicks off this Saturday.

This will see all 48 games screened live and free, a dedicated weekly women’s rugby league show and brand integration spread across an unrivalled Total TV, Total Audio and Total Publishing landscape.       

Featuring market-leading and innovative live-in-play Total TV opportunities for brands that only Nine can deliver, the NRLW provides a powerful platform for brands to connect with one of the fastest-growing elite sports in Australia. The 9Network and 9Now will screen more than 100 hours of this season’s NRLW live and free.

With the globally-renowned Wide World of Sports team producing a dedicated weekly women’s league show, NRLW Wrap, hosted by former Jillaroos Ruan Sims and Allana Ferguson, and Emma Lawrence, the program will complement the 11-week season.

Sims, Ferguson and Lawrence will also feature in the NRLW-specific commentary team alongside Roosters captain Millie Boyle, newcomer Marlee Silva and WWOS’ Danika Mason. There will also be a dedicated podcast NRLW WEEKLY.

As teams finalise preparations before this weekend’s kickoff, sponsors and partners of Nine’s broadcast can be revealed, with five of Nine’s NRL home and away season sponsors – Harvey Norman, Telstra, McDonald’s, Westpac and Chemist Warehouse – extending their commitment into the NRLW. 

Creative brand integration will enhance the broadcast, including a new half-time Chemist Warehouse & Ostelin ‘Strong Moment’ which will celebrate inspirational moments of strength from the first half. Westpac will help launch their NRLW sponsorship by bringing their Red Zone integration to Nine’s coverage, helping unpack all of the action from the attacking 20 metres for fans at home.

Matthew Granger, Nine’s director of sales – Sport, Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “The NRLW has proven itself an elite competition featuring the world’s best female rugby league players and athletes.

“It has been fantastic to see our partners get behind the expanded season as the women’s game is supercharged to new heights. I can’t wait to watch this exciting new chapter and evolution of women’s sport in Australia across the Total TV screens of Nine.”

Anne Gruber, Nine’s director of content partnerships – Sport, Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “Since the NRLW first hit our screens, the competition has gone from strength to strength and this year Nine is proud to support the biggest evolution of the sport and allow brands the opportunity to leverage this incredible platform. Our suite of marketing solutions, talent and expertise positions Nine as the new Home of NRLW.”

The NRLW kicks off this Saturday, July 22 live and free on Nine and 9Now. Every NRLW game will be available to stream anywhere at any time on 9Now. 

See also: Every NRLW game in 2023 to be broadcast on Nine’s Wide World of Sports

News.com.au has launched a new nationwide survey, The Great Aussie Debate, to discover what makes Australians tick – everything from the silly to the serious.

Over the coming weeks, news.com.au will be asking its audience of more than 13 million Australians questions designed to reveal fact from fiction, exploring the nation’s habits and behaviours as well as views on race, the referendum, sex and even first dates. 

Kerry Warren, editor of the news site, said the survey would go beyond the laughs and reveal what’s driving Australia. 

“We are asking the questions that really matter across finance, parenting, dating and sex, health, and more. We’ve deliberately included the serious and the silly because we want to know how and what Australians are thinking,” she said.

“From the cost of living crisis to The Voice referendum, to the trials and tribulations of parenting, we want to know what’s going on behind the screen,” she added.

The national survey insights will be used to tell the story of where Australia is at this point in time. 

To kick-start The Great Aussie Debate, news.com.au took a pulse survey of 2000 respondents to get an early feel for some of the burning questions. Findings include:
 
• More than half of people surveyed believe Australia is a somewhat racist country
• Just under half of all people say it is okay to ghost someone
• One in three say using your phone on speaker in public is acceptable
• Half of all surveyed people want to have more sex, more often
• A quarter of all people change their sheets only once a month
 
News.com.au journalist Andrew Bucklow called the survey was unlike any other and said: “It’s so rare to get an insight into the Australian brain at such a large scale.”
 
“The Great Aussie Debate is truly unlike anything that has come before it, with some questions so juicy that closest friends wouldn’t even be asking them. I can’t wait to find out how many Aussies are actually putting their trolley away, and how many of us have ghosted our exes. For the great diversity in our country, it’s fascinating to see how much common ground we actually have,” Bucklow added.
 
See also: Kerry Warren named editor of news.com.au, succeeding Oliver Murray

oOh!media has announced it has launched an expanded data suite for enhanced capabilities in audience-led campaign planning and attribution, signing a long-term, out-of-home partnership (with attribution exclusivity) with Unpacked by Flybuys, the insights, data and measurement division of customer loyalty program Flybuys.

Furthermore, the outdoor advertising and media company’s evolved data suite integrates transactional banking data insights through Westpac DataX, the Westpac Group’s data insights and analytics offering.

Leveraging aggregated, de-identified transactional data from nine million active Flybuys members and over two billion annual Westpac card transactions, oOh! empowers data-led campaign solutions and robust attribution reporting for advertisers and agencies across 800 audience segments, covering categories such as FMCG, beverages, retail, travel, banking, insurance, entertainment, QSR (quick service restaurants), as well as deep lifestyle targeting insights.         

Both data sets will be mapped to oOh!’s national network of 35,000 digital and classic assets and can be optimised using Smart Reach, an optimisation tool to identify the largest volume of buyers across oOh! locations. The offering then extends to provide exclusive attribution reporting from Unpacked by Flybuys to measure shifts in brand buying behaviour. 

A joint venture between Wesfarmers and Coles, Unpacked by Flybuys leverages de-identified customer transactional data from retailers including Coles, Coles Express, Liquorland, and First Choice Liquor Market. 

Cathy O’Connor, CEO, oOh! said: “This market-leading data suite elevates the standard we have been known for in terms of data driven audience targeting, attribution, measurement and demonstrating ROI. We’ve now expanded into new categories, allowing brands to plan and measure their campaigns using our extensive data insights across both traditional and programmatic platforms.

“This allows us to demonstrate to brands how out of home can not only reach audiences at scale, but also deliver and provide reporting on campaign outcomes.

“The Unpacked by Flybuys partnership and access to the Westpac DataX offering aligns with our vision to continue leading at the forefront of data-driven marketing in out of home environments cementing our leadership role to drive a digital-first out of home future.”

Anna Lee, CEO, Flybuys added: “We are very excited to be bringing together the power of Australia’s favourite loyalty program with Australia’s largest out of home media company. This partnership will allow marketers to leverage real-world spending patterns that will enable advertisers and media agencies to make better, more granular buying decisions while offering robust post campaign measurement capabilities.

“Marketers are demanding greater accountability for their marketing spend and Unpacked by Flybuys has a rich source of data from more than nine million active members that can be used to better plan and measure the impact of their spend.”

Westpac DataX’s de-identified and aggregated solution, based on more than 12 million customers and six million daily card transactions will provide advertisers and agencies access to a comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviour, helping them to plan more effectively to drive better customer experiences and attributable outcomes with oOh!.”

Veridooh has announced it has partnered with digital out-of-home (DOOH) media owner Mass Media Outdoor to give advertisers the ability to independently track and measure their OOH campaigns.

Through the partnership, all Mass Media Outdoor clients will be able to verify their DOOH campaigns, giving them an added layer of trust and transparency in the sector.

The adtech company’s world-first proprietary and patented solution, SmartCreativeTM, independently collects all the data needed to track, measure, and verify the performance of DOOH campaigns. The technology provides more than 400 metrics on campaign delivery in one easy-to-use dashboard.

Mass Media Outdoor operates a growing network of premium roadside digital billboards and retail digital totems across the UK. These are primarily located in the South East, Midlands and North West, with a strategy to develop a nationwide footprint covering the main arterial routes connecting the towns and cities.

Mass Media Outdoor CEO Mass Lambresa said: “A core mission at Mass Media Outdoor has been to make DOOH more accessible to smaller businesses. Increasing transparency in the sector helps us achieve this.
 
“By allowing advertisers to see exactly how their campaigns are being delivered, we’re giving them the tools to better understand how OOH is helping their brands grow and delivering on key objectives.
 
“It’s great to work with the Veridooh team to roll out independent verification for our clients. Importantly, Veridooh’s dashboard is a simple tool for clients to use, keeping it easy and efficient for smaller businesses that want to tap into the full power of DOOH.”

Veridooh co-founder Mo Moubayed said: “We’re pleased to partner with Mass Media Outdoor to help increase transparency in UK OOH. We’re seeing strong interest from local advertisers in independent verification and our goal has been to work with local experts to make our product available to everyone.
 
“The more brands and agencies have access to independent campaign delivery data, the more they can understand the power OOH has on their brands’ growth. This means everyone wins.”

Founded in 2019 by Jeremy Yang and Mo Moubayed, Veridooh is already the preferred verification partner for GroupM, Omnicom Media Group, and IPG Mediabrands in its native Australia.
 
Its clients of the adtech company include some of the biggest global brands: Unilever, McDonald’s, Google, Amazon, Mercedes, Pepsi, and Sony. Veridooh has also amassed many awards such as Deloitte’s 2020 Tech Fast 50 Rising Stars and Campaign Asia’s 2021 Most Valuable Technology.

–

Top image: Mo Moubayed and Jeremy Yang

Eleven Melbourne has bolstered its leadership team with the announcement of two promotions and a new hire.

Stepping up in the TBWA agency are Harrison Webster and Max Reed, who have been promoted to joint creative director roles.

Joining the Eleven Melbourne team is Eliza Smith, who has been appointed as a client partner.

The team will support Kiefer Casamore general manager Melbourne, Eleven and Sustain by TBWA, as well as Matt Stoddart, who was last week promoted to executive creative director, TBWA/Melbourne and Eleven.

See also: TBWA/Melbourne announce promotions to their creative department amid expansion of core offerings

Webster and Reed have been at TBWA for the past seven years. Together the duo have built the agency’s internal content production offering and created brand platforms for some of Australia’s largest businesses, including NAB, Medibank, and Seek.

Webster and Reed will now lead all creative outputs for the agency and sit on the national leadership team.
 
Casamore called Webster and Reed “two of the most talented creatives” he has worked with.
 
“Their innate understanding of earned-led creative in unparalleled – so to have them working alongside Eliza, who brings big brand experience, is super exciting,” he said.
 
Webster and Reed said of their promotion: “Eleven’s creative product is genuinely the type of work that gets talked about, so naturally, we’re humbled by the opportunity to now contribute to this, every day.”
 
Smith joins Eleven from Thrive PR, where she was senior account director, working on brands including Airbnb and WelleCo. She will work closely with Casamore to lead the agency’s day-to-day operations and help drive future growth of the agency.
 
Smith shared that she’s admired Eleven’s work from afar and is honoured to join the agency.
 
“I’m looking forward to bringing my unique experience to the agency and supporting the team to continue to deliver innovative and impactful work for our clients,” she said.
 
–
 
Top image: Harrison Webster, Eliza Smith, Max Reed and Kiefer Casamore

GOLD 104.3’s The Christian O’Connell Show will celebrate its 1000th show in August with The Christian O’Connell Show, LIVE on Stage.

On Friday, August 19 at the Yarraville Club, the night will include everything that listeners have learnt to love about the show, as well as a few surprises. 

Limited tickets are available to purchase here with all proceeds from tickets being donated to Backpacks 4 VIC Kids, a Victorian charity providing essential material aid to displaced children. The Christian O’Connell Show has previously worked with the organisation, raising $274,033 to help local children in crisis.

Of the exciting milestone for the show, host Christian O’Connell said, “I want to do something where we can celebrate 1000 shows with our listeners, more to say thank you. If you don’t listen to the show, support the show, tell your friends about it or give it a chance here, the life that I love isn’t here for me and my family.

“More importantly, we will be using the live show as an opportunity to raise much-needed funds for Backpacks 4 Kids. People can’t afford to keep their light on at the moment with rising utility bills and interest rates. It is heartbreaking.  All the money raised from ticket sales will go straight to helping local kids in need.”

Christian also recently celebrated his 25^th anniversary in radio, first joining GOLD 104.3 in 2018 after a successful career in the UK, where he was the youngest ever inductee into the UK’s Radio Academy Hall of Fame.

The Christian O’Connell Show can be heard on GOLD104.3 from 6-9 am.

Last month, the show celebrated 5 years on the air. 

O’Connell thanked his co-hosts, Jack Post and Patrina Jones, for their support to the show over the years and his dedicated audience.

“It’s been, for me, a tremendous and incredibly exciting five years…” O’Connell said of his time with the Gold 104.3 show.

“For me, when I look back about who I was when I got here, that feels like ten Christian’s ago…We’re changing, you’re shedding skins, and you are growing. You only get to grow through challenges and trials.

“The last five years have been the hardest of my life, but I’m telling you now, in the same way, I’ve never enjoyed my life or radio more than since moving here.”

Read more: The Christian O’Connell Show celebrates five years on-air in Melbourne

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has returned to LiSTNR with a new season of his successful podcast series Defending Democracy with Malcolm Turnbull.

Expanded to eight episodes for season two, Mr Turnbull continues to examine the threat to democracy through interviews with leading experts on key issues such as artificial intelligence, defence capabilities and social media algorithms.

Following the expansive season one roll call, which featured former British Prime Minister Theresa May and Homeland Security official John Cohen, the subject matter and guest list for the new season includes conversations with guests such as Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Justin Bassi and MOBY Group Chairman and CEO Saad Mohseni.

Former Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, said: “In this series we discuss artificial intelligence, Tik Tok, killer robots and ask the question – is technology driving the decline of democracy?”

LiSTNR head of news and information, Melanie Withnall, said: “With his exceptional access to leading experts across the globe, we are delighted that Mr Turnbull has expanded his exploration of the issues that continue to vex governments and created a second series of his popular podcast with LiSTNR.”

Season two synopsis:

Episode 1: Should we ban TikTok?
Guest: Justin Bassi, Australian Strategic Policy Insitute executive director

Episode 2: Can we tame AI?
Guest: Toby Walsh, Author, Machines Behaving Badly

Episode 3: Will killer robots save or destroy us?
Guest: Palmer Luckey, Anduril Founder

Episode 4: Meet the new autocrats and learn their playbook
Guest: Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Author, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present 

Episode 5: Talking with the Taliban: Keeping the lights on when Democracy flames out
Guest: Saad Mohseni, MOBY Group chairman and CEO 

Episode 6: Secure clean energy will save democracy
Guest: Anna Mikulska, senior fellow, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy – University of Pennsylvania 

Episode 7: America’s coming civil war
Guest: Barbara F. Walter, Author, How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them

Episode 8: Dispatch from the Frontlines – The U.S. Presidential 2024 Race
Guest: Adam Kinzinger, former US Republican Party Congressman and Member of the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack

The second season of Defending Democracy with Malcolm Turnbull is available now on LiSTNR.

Rolling Stone New Zealand publisher The Brag Media has announced the nominees for the second annual Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards, with Panhead returning as the headline sponsor.

The invite-only event will be a night of live music, celebrating the best in Kiwi music, taking place at St Matthew-In-The-City in Auckland on September 20.

The 2023 edition of the awards sees a wide range of genres represented across four categories: Best Record, Best Single, Best New Artist, and the Rolling Stone Global Award.

Across the four award categories, several artists have secured multiple nominations, with Princess Chelsea, COTERIE, Six60, The Beths, TE KAAHU, Fazerdaze all up for two gongs. All six of the above are also in the mix for the Best Record category, which sees an exciting mix of diverse genres nominated, with eight incredible music works recognised. 

The other multi-award nominee is L.A.B. who are up for Best Single, as well as the Rolling Stone Global Award. The latter is judged by Rolling Stone’s global staff members to acknowledge the Kiwi artist they just can’t get enough of.

The inaugural award saw the editorial team crown international superstar Lorde, while 2023’s stellar shortlist includes The Beths, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO), Six60, Bic Runga, BENEE, Mitch James, MELODOWNZ.

Meanwhile, several artists/releases featuring te reo Māori will be honoured on the night, with TE KAAHU, Stan Walker, COTERIE, Six60, L.A.B. and Bic Runga all nominated.

Poppy Reid, Rolling Stone New Zealand editor in chief, said: “After the hugely successful launch of the Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards last year, we can’t wait to do it all again this year and join with the music industry to celebrate the diverse and unique music scene in New Zealand. Once again we’ve been treated to a year of New Zealand talent competing on the global stage.”

Rebecca Sinclair, Panhead brand & creative manager, said: “What a night it will be! Aotearoa has some incredible talent and that is worth celebrating. To be the naming sponsor of this event is a great honour! All the best to the nominated artists, we look forward to having a beer with you there.”

The latest issue of Rolling Stone New Zealand featuring The Teskey Brothers on the cover is now available on newsstands. The magazine includes a feature interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s Best New Artist for 2022, MAY-A, as well as a Pride Edition of ‘Artists Tipped To Take Over’ – unearthing several queer acts destined for the top.

2023 PANHEAD ROLLING STONE AOTEAROA AWARDS NOMINEES:

BEST RECORD
Princess Chelsea – Everything Is Going To Be Alright
COTERIE – Coterie
Six60 – Castle St
The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field
TE KAAHU – Te Kaahu O Rangi
Marlon Williams – My Boy
Fazerdaze – Break!
Stan Walker – All In

BEST SINGLE
Daily J ft. Boo Seeka – ‘Lost In Time’
lilbubblegum – ‘af1’
Princess Chelsea – ‘Forever Is A Charm’
SXMPRA feat. Ski Mask the Slump God – ‘COWBELL WARRIORS!’
Tami Neilson – ‘Beyond The Stars’ ft Willie Nelson
L.A.B. – ‘Take It Away’
Kaylee Bell – ‘Boots N All’
Fazerdaze – ‘Break!’

BEST NEW ARTIST
Georgia Lines
Hanbee
COTERIE
TE KAAHU
Luca George
Teo Glacier
33 Below
NO CIGAR

ROLLING STONE GLOBAL AWARD
The Beths
UMO
Six60
Bic Runga
BENEE 
Mitch James
MELODOWNZ
L.A.B.

Cath and Kel (not to be confused with the outstanding duo in Kath and Kim) were the first duo to be eliminated from Hunted Australia 2023 during the July 17 premiere.

The long-time friends, who were both fans of the show, decided to audition on a whim, thinking that their likelihood of being cast was low. However, as fate would have it, the pair were thrown into the deep end, not realising just how real it would feel to be chased.

“It did [feel like a game] to start with when you’re building up,” Cath said in an interview with Mediaweek post their elimination. “But that moment when you’re on the boat, and they’re about to pull into the dock and there’s a helicopter hovering It kicks off this adrenaline inside your body that you would never, I can’t remember ever feeling that before.

“There were drones popping in as well. It was very heightened and everybody felt that way, looking around the group the 10 teams all had the same feeling. When they said ‘blast’ and all just have to bolt!”

Ten

Before their eventual capture, the team were feeling pretty “confident”.

“We were sort of thinking, if we got through the first day and we could get out of town, we’d be good,” Kel said during the same interview. “It all changed fairly significantly, fairly quickly, obviously. And looking at the show last night, we can see the moment that it changed because they said we weren’t even on their radar.”

What got Cath and Kel caught?

While the duo taunted the Hunters with a cheeky Where’s Wally-inspired photograph, it was ultimately a WhatsApp text chain that brought them down. Digital Forensics were easily able to restore the chat history, finding extensive details about where the Fugitives were trying to hide.

Cath and Kel. Ten

When asked about the texts, Cath admitted that they didn’t realise those messages could be restored.

“It didn’t cross my mind. I mean, if you’re going to delete something? Isn’t it just deleted?” She said.

“George [an associate who was trying to help them stay safe] has written everything you can think of and Cath’s deleted it. For someone who’s not very tech-savvy, that’s it. But clearly, that’s not it. We found that out the hard way,” Kel, who was in on the same interview, added.

Hunted Australia 2023 airs at 7.30 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on 10 and 10Play.

Captain Jason Chambers is manning the bridge once more for Hayu’s second season of Below Deck Down Under and according to “Captain Cutie”, the series is about as “real” as any reality show can get.

While there is filming equipment everywhere, Chambers is insistent that the cast and crew are there to get the job done and have no time to “worry about the cameras”.

“The best thing about this show, it’s a real reality show,” Chambers said during an interview with Mediaweek and Chattr’s The Entertainment Hotline podcast for the launch of the second season. “There’s very few of them. Deadliest Catch, Gold Rush or whatever. There’s not many [of them], but we are a real reality show. You can’t take that away.”

The 39-year-old then added that given they’re “driving a boat and doing a charter”, there’s “safety involved”, so concentration is paramount.

“There are elements around the weather and we’ve got to please the charter guests, so you put all of that into the forefront of your mind because that’s what’s got to be done. You have no time to worry about the cameras.”

Season two of Below Deck Down Under is “insane”

Speaking of the guests, Chambers admitted that they make waves in the brand-new season which premiered on Tuesday, July 18 on Hayu. That, and the messy love “pentagon” among the deck crew.

“It starts off with a bang!” he explained. “I saw some things I’ve never seen on boats before. You’ve seen the teasers, it’s like that all the way through. Season one was a lot about our growth, and getting to know each other, and the first cab off the rank in season two, we’re straight into it.”

Plus, fans of the hit franchise will be thrilled to know that there “was a hell of a lot of drama”. 

“It was a lot of managing but it was enjoyable as well,” he said. “A lot of emotions. It was insane.”

Chambers will be joined once again by Below Deck Down Under season one chief stew Aesha Scott, a New Zealander who also found fame during the 2023 season of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here Australia. 

When asked if there is any backlash for talking about the guests behind their backs once the show has aired, Chambers defended their chatter.

“I think they all know [what to expect] and you if you have a look at the characters, the personalities like myself and Aesha, there’s never anything derogative towards people,” he said. “It’s just more humorous, I suppose. An Australian and a Kiwi, and that’s our culture.

“They [the guests] get up to all sorts. It’s funny, they’re the same as us. As soon as they get on there, I’m sure the cameras have disappeared from their face as well.”

Captain Jason’s “all hands on deck” motto

The seasoned Captain also lives by the motto, “all hands on deck”, meaning he leads from the top down.

“I’m a worker,” he said. “I’ve had a trade background. I started at the bottom and I’ve got to where I am by grafting. I’ve seen so many times on boats where different departments think that it’s not their job and they lose the fact that we’re trying to all get to the same end result and that’s a successful charter and a happy guest.

“If I show the tone that I’m not going to walk past a bin that needs to be emptied or help wash up, if I have that tone and I just dismiss that, then that gives the right for the deck crew to feel that way. If I actually make that our motto, and that’s what we do, then they have to follow suit.”

Since Chambers learns a lot about his crew by watching the show back (particularly when it comes to the drama behind the scenes), he also uses this method as a clever tool to “eavesdrop” and find out what’s going on so he can be prepared.

“As a captain, you walk around and you feel the vibe,” he admitted. “That’s why you wash up. Everything starts in the galley. You stand there and wash up in the galley and you’ll hear so much about what’s going on very quickly and then you can actually predict what’s going to happen.

“You can be prepared for it. You’re not just sitting up on the bridge and getting shocked by something because you might have an energy or feel about it.”

Stream brand new Below Deck Down Under on the same day as the USA from July 18, only on Hayu.

Total TV Ratings, July 11

941,000 watched Seven’s Home and Away as Justin found a way to let Andrew go and Bree confronted Remi over his lies, up 23%.

869,000 viewed 10’s MasterChef Australia and possibly the most stressful Pressure Test the MasterChef Australia kitchen had ever seen! Lifting 21%.

557,000 tuned in for Seven’s Million Dollar Island as one player held all the power, before striking a deal that could come back to haunt them! Up 32%.

510,000 also saw Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald’s The Cheap Seats, up 17%.

484,000 sat down for Nine’s Rush as the teams were dropped into Bangkok’s chaotic Khaosan Rd at night and one traveller made a shock decision that changed the competition, up 32%.

Overnight TV Ratings, July 18

Primetime News
Seven News 941,000 (6:00pm) / 868,000 (6:30pm)
Nine News 787,000 (6:00pm) / 776,000 (6:30pm)
ABC News 589,000
10 News First 200,000 (5:00pm)/ 155,000 (6:00pm)
SBS World News 156,000 (6:30pm)/ 116,000 (7:00pm)

Daily Current Affairs
A Current Affair 618,000
7.30 475,000
The Project 164,000 6:30pm / 272,000 7pm

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 222,000
Today 195,000
News Breakfast 136,000

Seven won Monday night with a primary share of 17.1% and a network share of 27.1%. 7Two has won multi channels with a 4.0% share.

448,000 began their evening in Summer Bay with Seven’s Home and Away as Felicity accumulated more lies and Justin questioned Kirby’s motives. Then, it was the Semi-Final of Million Dollar Island. One player faced making the ultimate sacrifice to save a friend from elimination. 240,000 watched on. 172,000 then stayed on for US cop drama, The Rookie.

Nine’s A Current Affair (618,000) looked at how the Australian sporting community has called Premier Daniel Andrews’ decision to cancel the Commonwealth Games “embarrassing” and “disappointing” while also putting the spotlight on Dr Peter Spencer, who has been suspended from practising medicine and is also under suspicion over his wife’s death. Then, 242,000 tuned in for Rush. The teams were dropped into the snowy French Alps in the middle of the chaotic Tomorrowland music festival before a race to the Escape Zone in Paris. 204,000 saw a repeat of Travel Guides which saw our avid explorers embark on a luxury river cruise down the Mekong River from Cambodia to southern Vietnam. 

On 10, The Project (164,000 6:30pm / 272,000 7pm) welcomed PNAU’s Nick Littlemore to the desk plus looked at the new experimental drug that could delay the progression of Alzheimer’s. The program also took a look at the Commonwealth Games officials who have slammed Victoria after the State Government pulled the pin on hosting the 2026 event. Hunted Australia then followed as brother-sister duo, Byron and Tanase, managed to slip away from the Hunters after a daring Instagram live taunt and just as Megan and Gracie thought they had found a safe haven, the ultimate cat and mouse chase began where Gracie was captured. 472,000 tuned in. Then, taking a fun look at the week that was, The Cheap Seats hosts Bracewell and McDonald were joined by Mel Tracina, Adam Rozenbachs and chief Hunter Dr. David Craig for 352,000.

475,000 watched ABC’s 7.30. The program looked at the lawyers who have spoken out over the closure of the special investigative office to probe the Lawyer X scandal and Sarah Ferguson spoke to Treasurer Jim Chalmers after his meeting with China’s Finance Minister. 309,000 then watched Joel Creasey’s New Leash on Life. After a terrible accident, Tracy was looking for a canine to restore purpose in her life. Then, 285,000 stayed on for The Dark Emu Story, a thought-provoking and inspiring documentary that looked at the impact of Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu.

The highest rating non-news show on SBS was Great Coastal Railway Journeys with 185,000 tuning in to see Michael Portillo continue his railway adventure on England’s east coast.