Network Nine Slays the Winter Through Unlikely Success, Now Rewards
In a country known for its sandy shore but not snow-capped mountains, Australia’s surprisingly brilliant performance at the Winter Olympics has become a big-time deal for broadcaster Nine. The network has held the exclusive rights, with a notable increase in viewer rating and advertisement during these three months, benefiting from a wave of patriotic enthusiasm for a team that insists on Africa instead of the North Pole.
The sight of Australian athletes unexpectedly No.1 on the medal tally in places that likely are just a temporary heart of a training camp has become a prevailing idea in the people’s minds. This as it is an underdog spirit, together with the calendar of true world-class performances, has caused the inflation of market ratings for Nine. The primetime slot of the Games’ coverage sees it as a social event, as houses get together to watch sports that were once perceived as simply strange in the history of Australian sports.
Citing Nine’s all-encompassing plan for media coverage as a critical factor for their success, industry experts highlight the issue. By mixing old school broadcasting with new digital streaming technology on 9Now, the network has allowed audiences of all profiles and devices to enjoy the Games. This multi-platform arrangement has offered advertisers a chance to interact with an enthusiastic audience that has grown to be very large, with evidence confirming advertisement slots fully booked in these key event moments.
There is more to the story than just viewership numbers. The coverage of Nine has also received a huge social media follow-up, such that officially recognized Australian team hashtags were at the top of trends lists. This digital wave has turned into a virtuous cycle by attracting further viewers to the broadcast and thus bringing in more returns for their commercial partners. The network’s analysts and external hosts, most of whom are former athletes themselves, showed versatility and innovation, which not only held the audience’s interest but also helped them to explain the sports to the newcomers.
This winter Olympics has been a valuable lesson for Nine that through engaging and interesting material even if they are not traditionally very popular, medium can indeed become a significant commercial and cultural event when united with a nation’s sporting pride. The Australian team’s unanticipated medal shower has not only added yet another award but also significantly increased the revenue of the network. It has also proven once more the enduring power of live, shared audiences as a real sports show in the fragmented modern media.
Source: bandt
