Nine signs ‘groundbreaking’ Melbourne Cup broadcast deal
Nine Entertainment Co has signed a “groundbreaking” six-year deal with Tabcorp and the Victorian Racing Club (VRC) for the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Announced on Tuesday morning, the agreement will see the VRC and Tabcorp enter a partnership combining enhanced year-round sponsorship from 2024-2029, as well as domestic and international media rights for the Carnival.
“The Melbourne Cup is an iconic Australian sporting event and has been part of our nation’s cultural fabric for more than 160 years,” said Mike Sneesby, CEO of Nine.
“It has a rich heritage, synonymous with legendary sporting names such as Phar Lap and Makybe Diva, and Nine is honoured to be able to broadcast this world-renowned event across our platforms from 2024.”
Nine were heavily tipped to take over the broadcast rights after both Ten and Seven pulled out of negotiations late last year.
The 2023 Cup drew 1.11 million viewers across the five capital cities, and 1.68 million nationally – including streaming. These figures were up from last year’s nadir of 1.35 million viewers, nationally, but below the 1.695 million viewers that watched in 2021. It’s a far cry from the 2.12 million who tuned in back in 2014.
VRC Chairman Neil Wilson said that the new deal is an important strategic announcement for the industry, Tabcorp, Nine and the VRC.
“As Australia’s first major event, the Melbourne Cup Carnival will sit very appropriately in the calendar of Nine’s Wide World of Sport major event coverage,” he said.
“The Melbourne Cup Carnival is Australia’s pre-eminent racing event, and the partnership continues the VRC’s unwavering commitment to showcasing the very best the sport of racing has to offer and attracting new fans to the sport… [It] is one of Australia’s most culturally and economically important major events, and it is right here in Melbourne – considered by many as the sporting capital of the world,” Wilson continued.
VRC chief executive Steve Rosich added that the partnership underlined the club’s strategic commitment to being a world leader in racing, media, sponsorship, and event experience.
“The partnership with Tabcorp and the arrangements with Nine have been developed by our close strategic alignment and a desire to grow and innovate in our industry,” he said.
“We are thrilled that in 2024 the Melbourne Cup Carnival will join the Nine big event stable alongside the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Australian Open and State of Origin.”
Rosich also thanked Network 10, the Melbourne Cup’s previous broadcast partner, which had a five-year relationship with the event.
“The VRC acknowledges and thanks Network 10 for bringing together exceptional coverage of the Melbourne Cup Carnival since 2019. In partnership with Network 10 the VRC has expanded the range and reach of Cup Week across domestic and international audiences, and we were delighted to finish the partnership on a high, with increased viewership on Network 10 and 10 Play.”
More to come.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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