Nine Entertainment Co has delivered a 6% increase in group EBITDA to $201 million for the six months to December 2025. Group revenue hit $1.1 billion. Strong digital subscription growth buffered the broader advertising market softness, helping statutory net profit land at $81 million.
Chief executive officer Matt Stanton told investors the company achieved this growth despite a soft television advertising market. He singled out the broadcast and streaming performance as a “pleasingly robust result for total television,” noting the division delivered an impressive $99 million in EBITDA for the half.
Stan. proved a standout performer. The streaming platform reported a record $37 million EBITDA result, representing a 24% increase, while revenue jumped 15%.
Nine Entertainment’s H1 2026 EBITDA by division
Stanton gave a special callout to the cross-platform power of the network’s reality juggernaut Married At First Sight. The dedicated Stan spinoff, After The Dinner Party, became the platform’s highest-ever single-episode subscription driver in a 24-hour period. Stanton proudly noted the local spinoff even beat the global phenomenon Yellowstone.
Publishing and Drive accelerate
Nine’s publishing division held firm during the half, reporting revenue of $262 million and a combined EBITDA of $74 million. While profitability remained flat compared to the first half of the 2025 financial year, digital subscriptions continued their upward trajectory.
Digital revenues grew 9% at the metro mastheads and the Australian Financial Review. Meanwhile, the automotive brand Drive delivered a blockbuster result. Drive posted 32% digital revenue growth, driven by a massive 120% year-on-year jump in marketplace revenue.
The company removed approximately $43 million in costs during the half. Management expects $32 million of these savings to continue, boosting margins as they target a further $70 million in underlying cost reductions heading into the 2027 financial year.
Restructuring for a digital future
The half-year results follow the massive strategic pivot Nine announced late last month. The media giant recently revealed an $850 million acquisition of outdoor digital network QMS Media and the impending sale of Nine Radio. Stanton also highlighted the restructuring of NBN and Nine Darwin.
These moves highlight a sharp focus on scalable digital platforms. Management expects growth assets to account for around 60% of revenue and 70% of EBITDA by the 2027 financial year.
Stanton remains cautiously optimistic about the months ahead. With the QMS Media acquisition set to finalise and the regional and radio assets shifting, Nine faces a critical window of execution.
Advertisers will watch closely to see if the network can maintain its total television momentum while integrating a major out-of-home player into its cross-platform sales pitch.