Nine delivered a confident showcase built around integration, measurement, and premium storytelling at their Upfront.
With the Milano Winter Olympics leading its content slate, the network unveiled a raft of initiatives positioning Total TV as a true effectiveness engine, underpinned by independent research showing brands are missing out on $4 billion in potential revenue by under-investing in premium long-form video.
The event also introduced 9Now Stories, a new vertical, brand-safe video format to drive daily engagement, a unified ad trading solution across 9Now, Stan Sport, and HBO Max, offering streamlined buying and greater reach and PoweredTV, an ambitious expansion of Nine’s branded content division designed to embed brands directly into premium, multi-platform storytelling.
Rounding out the announcements was 9Amplify, a new solution that extends campaigns into social media platforms, ensuring Nine’s content, commerce, and creative ecosystem work seamlessly across every screen.
After the presentation, Mediaweek caught up with key industry players to gauge their reactions, and to learn what left the strongest impression.
Jonathan Kerr, Chief Growth Officer, Auto & General
What struck me most was Nine talking about growth and I really think we have to get back in this industry, to talking about growth. I like the fact they are being bold about that, as is talking about working with brands like us to generate growth – that’s really important.
There’s always continuity with Nine, but now they are really talking about their major assets and they are starting to link them together better. That’s really exciting for us.
There’s always talk about technology at Upfronts but we often forget this is predominantly a people-driven business.
We have formed great friendships and partnerships with Nine, and it looks like it’s set to continue. That’s what came across to me today because they understand us.
We have built a relationship with Nine over the last 20 years and I can say that the work we have done together has really made us the fastest-growing insurer in Australia.
Adam Krass, Chief Analytics Officer, IPG Mediabrands
Adam Krass
Nine isn’t just doubling down on sport, it’s mortgaging the house on it.
From the NRL and rugby to the Winter Olympics, EPL, and Melbourne Cup, Nine is flexing its sporting guns.
Every other network is talking tech; Nine is talking turf. The question isn’t whether Aussies will watch, it’s whether the network can turn passion into profit.
Behind the sizzle, Stan isn’t Nine’s side hustle anymore; it’s the crown jewel carrying the growth story.
With Aussie drama and premium rights like the EPL, Stan has become the engine of steady subscriber growth and the platform where Nine’s long-term content play really lives.
What also stood out this year was Nine’s evolution in data and measurement. Shared data environments, new measurement partnerships, and a clear focus on outcomes mark a meaningful step forward. The real trophy is attribution: proving the big screen’s true impact.
The expansion into social platforms also shows awareness of how younger audiences now consume snackable content. It’s a shift from protecting the broadcast walls to meeting the audience where they are.
A connected, outcome-driven Nine feels well positioned for the year ahead. And as for Gout Gout, every country needs a new cult hero. I can’t wait to watch the Athletics.
Denise Spadafora, Head of Client Services (Melbourne), Russell Curtis & Janes
I think the most things that impressed me today was Nine’s commitment to partnership and building on brands and showing growth through connected television and all of their other assets.
I think the biggest opportunity for us is building a partnership across the Nine Network and not just across key platforms like TV.
The opportunity to actually have cross publishing and also through audio is vital for us when we have brands that are looking for an overall approach to their media.
There’s also the trust they bring to audiences. I think there’s one element that really came out today about understanding how they can build trust with core audience groups, and really that’s what we’re looking for with our clients.
I think the opportunity through their publishing platforms and through their trusted content on television, allows us to work really well with them.
Sue Cant, Head of Investment, This is Flow
Sue Cant
The ’Nine Advantage’ was the theme; collaboration, transparent, outcomes driven and a seamless partnership through all of Nine’s platforms was the promise.
With an internal reorganisation, centred around three divisions: streaming and broadcast, publishing and marketplaces, the intent is to make it easier for agencies and brands to navigate the ever growing Nine ecosystem.
As well as streamlining into specific centres of excellence across AI, data and tech – I’m hopeful that being able to collaborate with these key areas will make briefing and receiving a truly integrated response a much-needed reality for next year and we can say goodbye to disjointed conversations.
A stand out for me was Nine’s focus on highlighting that there is still a significant under-investment into Total TV.
It’s a consistent conversation I am having and trying to demonstrate the harsh reality of the effect that under investment has on brand equity and sales revenue for brands.
We need to stop chasing ROI in the short term and focus more on the right spread of quality content and environment context to ensure we are investing the right amount of dollars into the right areas of Total TV, that’s the only way to deliver the greatest outcomes for brands.
The work Nine are doing alongside their measurement partners such as Mutinex, Kantar and Adgile is much needed and I’m excited to now have the proof points to enable robust conversations with clients to switch the mindset to true sales growth and the effect on their bottom line.
It was also great to hear about 9Now stories delivering a brand safe vertical video format for short-form content – as we know, mobile first vertical formats are a daily habit for all Aussies so being able to tap into this as another channel to drive engagement is a welcome addition.
Andrew Markou, Media & Investment Partner, Avenue C
Nine will enter 2026 like an orc ready for battle… a force to be reckoned with, kicking off the year with the Australian Open and launching straight into the juggernaut that is MAFS.
From here, the momentum continues as Nine will be home of the 2026 Winter Olympics & Paralympic games throughout the month of February.
No other publisher can offer what Nine does: a truly integrated media ecosystem, tapping into a combination of audio and visual channels, with content and platforms tailored specifically for differing audiences and dedicated markets.
The key message to advertisers and agencies was that Nine can do more than just deliver mass at scale, but is best in market when connecting brands with consumers through their rich data, and world class connections.
There was a significant focus around premium, trusted content, and how important it is for brands to be aligned with these credible environments and platforms to cut-through and drive high levels of attention.
There was plenty to talk about as the formalities wrapped up, including a focus on the ROI that TV can still deliver in 2026 and beyond, as ad recall sees a 6.3x lift when viewed on the home TV screen.
The standout moment was Nick Young confirming a single-source, unified solution to de-duplicated audiences across all of its streaming platforms (9Now, Stan and HBO Max), a true game changer as we continue to see the rise of video and streaming, as well as overall VOD measurement remaining a hot topic of conversation for clients and brands.
The announcement that advertising is coming to the Stan platform had the crowd cheering, with brands eager to sink their teeth into this new and shiny, growing platform, and of course, give them access to more MAFS and EPL.
Nine made one thing clear: with a consistent mix of premium content and live sport rolling out every month, they’re set to keep audiences engaged all year long, thanks to a combination of existing successful formats and exciting new programs launching in 2026.
Anthony Crewes, Vice President Marketing South Pacific, Colgate-Palmolive Company
I thought the most exciting part of the Upfront was clearly a continued focus on innovation. I thought 9Amplify, and I do need to learn more about it, felt very impressive.
This idea of extending content and extending talent from Channel Nine into social channels and even on Nine Stories, is really exciting as well.
But I think what impresses me the most is Nine’s continued focus on high quality content that really taps into culturally relevant moments and helps our brands really engage with as many Australians as possible, or we can go as targeted as we want to go.
Their omni-channel platform really lends itself to brands either looking to expand their reach to mass levels or to really target through the data rich environment of their digital ecosystem, whether that’s BVOD or through audio or publication assets, it’s all there.
Taylor Fielding, CEO, TFM Digital
Taylor Fielding
This year it feels like Nine are nailing it across all environments. We’ve all heard about Total TV and we know from our retailers how important it is – packaging up broadcast, streaming as well across socials will really help deliver on their promise of business growth and moving the industry ‘beyond merely ROI efficiency’.
It was super powerful sitting in the audience, hearing its ‘independent collective’ studies about effectiveness. Lots of stats but the ‘Longevity Effect’ conveys it best with a single week of TV activity generating an average of eight weeks of sales in the automotive category as an example.
It’s great to see a publisher driving investment in this area and certainly walking the talk in shifting conversations in the industry.
James Lucas, Head of Media Partnerships, OMD Brisbane
Nine’s 2026 Upfront’s presentation was (as usual) well-crafted and delivered elegantly.
Demonstrating their knack for storytelling, the presentation was focused on re-positioning Nine in the eyes of advertisers and agencies, less as a traditional media partner and instead as a business partner that delivers tangible outcomes for Brands.
This was evident in the rollout of announcements and new offerings which leant heavily into performance product enhancements and increased simplification for advertisers to navigate Nine’s extensive ecosystem.
This deliberate focus in Nine’s Upfronts narrative did reduce content updates, but I found that refreshing as we hit the halfway point of upfronts season. Whilst this is not the first time Nine have built a narrative around being a full-funnel solution for Brands, it was certainly the most direct they’ve been.
I anticipate Nine’s presentation and roadmap of product releases will be welcomed by most agencies and marketers. This is especially true given the current climate, where many Australian brands and companies are operating in a transformative and challenging period of uncertainty. Few categories, if any, are exempt from this shift. Nine read the room well, focusing on how they can assist marketers and agencies, rather than dwelling on the next scandal we can expect in the new season of MAFS.
Better demonstrating outcomes and simplifying the complex is no doubt high up on the priority list of most in this industry. Solutions like PoweredTV, 9amplify and the 9galaxy+ quarterly outcomes rollout are great examples of how Nine are driving solutions.
I applaud Nine for encouraging advertisers to look beyond standard ROI metrics and to have deeper conversations about outcomes in 2026. As a key partner, this is exactly how we want Nine to show up and collaborate with us.