Media Releases Archive - Page 134 of 176 - Nine for Brands (2024)

A stay-at-home mother of five from the south-western suburbs of Sydney has won the biggest prize ever given away in the history of Australian television.

Samantha Bolton, 45, from Woodbine near Campbelltown, is the lucky winner of a multi-million-dollar Block Gatwick apartment.

The apartment was renovated by contestants on the most recent series of Nine’s long-running, top-rating renovation reality program.

Samantha won the ultimate prize by getting the winning golden ticket in her box of MONOPOLY – The Block Special Edition.

“I am in total shock, it’s so hard to believe I have won,” said Samantha, who purchased the winning game from Big W in Bega.

“I actually can’t comprehend it. It has not sunk in yet. I have to keep pinching myself. I haven’t won anything since the lolly jar competition in grade two. I am just overwhelmed. It’s incredible and life changing. Our family are massive fans of The Block, but never in a million years did I think we’d win.”

Host of The Block, Scott Cam, was overjoyed at Samantha’s huge windfall.

“When I heard that the winner was a true-blue Aussie battler from the suburbs I couldn’t have been happier. This year’s Blockheads put their heart and soul into creating this magnificent property and Samantha will go down in the history books as its proud owner,” Scotty said.

The Block-themed edition of the world’s favourite board game was a runaway success and a popular stocking filler in the lead-up to Christmas.

All 14 seasons of properties on The Block are featured on the limited-edition game, with Dux House in Albert Park replacing the famous and coveted Mayfair address.

The Block will return for an historic 15th series this year.

For further information please contact:
Michelle Stamper
Nine Network Publicity

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Australia’s most talked about social experiment, the provocative and polarising Married at First Sight, returns for its sixth and most explosive series yet on Monday, January 28, at 7.30pm on Nine and 9Now.

Relationship experts John Aiken, Mel Schilling and neuropsychotherapist Dr Trisha Stratford once again put science to the test when it comes to matters of the heart, calling on their expertise to find the perfect matches for 20 brave singles looking for love.

This season you’ll bear witness to more love than ever before, with the infamous dinner parties more passionate, the commitment ceremonies more intense, and the relationships more tumultuous. If that wasn’t enough, the experts have introduced some surprising new elements that will rock the experiment and challenge not only the couples but the group as a whole.

Each couple will meet for the first time as they walk down the aisle on their wedding day, and from the moment they say “I do” their relationship is under the microscope as they experience the highs and lows of marriage at full speed.

Ten brides and ten grooms from across Australia, each with their own remarkable stories, will face more challenges and romantic hurdles than ever before.

Every couple will live together under the same roof, compare their experiences at explosive dinner parties, and bare all at the most confronting commitment ceremonies yet.

Some will flounder as the pressure mounts, others will flourish as they find the joy of love at first sight.

So it’s 20 strangers and 10 weddings. Who will be the ones to find true love?

Married at First Sight is produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Nine.

To access everything MAFS, head to the official site for exclusive content and news from the show, or watch it live or catch up on 9Now.

Here is a guide on how to watch MAFS.

For further information please contact:
Peter Brennan
National Publicist – Married At First Sight
pebrennan@nine.com.au

Monday, December 24, 2018

Australia’s favourite holiday tradition returns on Christmas Eve as Nine presents the 81^st Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight on Monday, December 24, at 8.00pm.

David Campbell and Sonia Kruger will join forces to co-host live from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and introduce some of the biggest musical talents in the country, including:

• Singing sensation Dami Im
• Vocal powerhouse Casey Donovan
• Multi-award-winning country star Adam Harvey
• The cast of the hit musical School of Rock
• From the musical Evita, Tony Award winner Paulo Szot, Kurt Kansley and Michael Falzon
• Jersey Boys, putting their own stamp on a Christmas classic
• Show-stopping performances from Tim Campbell and Anthony Callea
• Two of the biggest stars from stage and screen, Lucy Durack and Christie Whelan-Browne
• Rob Mills lighting up the Music Bowl
• The Voice 2018 finalist Aydan Calafiore
• TV and pop star Bonnie Anderson and Top Ten recording artist Nathaniel
• Beau Woodbridge, son of Australian tennis great Todd Woodbridge, performing
• Carols perennials Marina Prior, Denis Walter, David Hobson and Silvie Paladino, without whom Christmas Eve wouldn’t be the same
• A special visit from the big man himself, direct from the North Pole

All under the baton of music maestro John Foreman AM, assisted by Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight choirmaster Doug Heywood OAM.

Plus, performances from the Australian Girls Choir and the National Boys Choir under the artistic direction of Peter Casey, who is celebrating 51 years with this wonderful event.

Carols by Candlelight presented by Priceline Pharmacy is Vision Australia’s largest annual fundraiser, with 100 per cent of profits from ticket sales and donations going towards services for children who are blind or have low vision. This year their Carols by Candlelight Matching Appeal aims to make Christmas four times brighter by having all donations quadrupled in a 24-hour period over Christmas.

Prior to Carols by Candlelight, viewers will be treated to a screening of Baby It’s Christmas, a Christmas Eve singalong special with David Campbell at 7.30pm on Nine and 9Now. The family affair will see special guests Jimmy Barnes, Diesel and Mahalia Barnes performing with David, along with Rick Price – who wrote the title track for the album of the same name – and The Kingdom Choir, who won global fame after performing at Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding.

Further information:
Clare Gibbons
Channel Nine Publicity

Thursday, December 20, 2018

A new era in tennis broadcasting will commence with the 2019 Mastercard Hopman Cup on Nine and 9Gem from Saturday, December 29.

Rebecca Maddern and Clint Stanaway will host the network’s live coverage of the annual event from the RAC Arena in Perth. This tournament, which will feature mixed teams from eight nations, is shaping as one of the most hotly contested in Hopman Cup history.

Commentary for the eight-day competition will be provided by Todd Woodbridge, Alicia Molik, Mark Petchey, John Fitzgerald, Casey Dellacqua and Peter Marcato.

They will be supported by roving reporters Matthew Pavlich and Scherri-Lee Biggs.

In a coup for viewers, two of the greatest players of all time, Serena Williams and Roger Federer, will go head-to-head in the mixed doubles on New Year’s Day.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam tournament champion, will return to Australian tennis for the first time since her historic Australian Open victory in 2017 when she was eight weeks pregnant. Williams will represent the United States alongside dynamic rising star Frances Tiafoe.

The USA doubles team will meet Switzerland’s pairing of Roger Federer, winner of 20 major singles titles, and Belinda Bencic, the current Swiss No. 1 female player, in a dream start to the new year for tennis fans.

Germany’s Angelique Kerber, the world No.2 and three-time Grand Slam champion, and world men’s No.4 Alexander Zverev will return with hopes of improving on their finals finish in the last Hopman Cup.

The nation’s top-ranked women’s player, Ashleigh Barty, the world No.15, will team up with Perth’s own Matt Ebden to represent Australia.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza and former world No.3 David Ferrer will make their Hopman Cup debut for Spain.

Up-and-comers and childhood friends, world No.15 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, will represent Greece in their Hopman Cup debut.

Perennial favourites France will be represented by Lucas Pouille, a member of the French team that won the Davis Cup in 2017, and Alizé Cornet, who played in the team that won the Hopman Cup in 2014.

Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter round out the field for the 2019 Hopman Cup.

Tom Malone, Nine’s Director of Sport, said: “What a sensational way to start Nine’s new summer of tennis and the new year, with two of the greatest to have ever played, Serena Williams and Roger Federer.

“The Hopman Cup will be the first insight into how they and others are preparing for the Australian Open which starts on January 14.”

For further information, please contact:
Nine Network Publicity
Terry Stuart

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

In a blink of an eye, 2018 is coming to a close. And while the past 12 months has had its fair share of terrible news from natural disasters to mass shootings and humanitarian crises, there has also been much to make you feel good and smile.

What A Year is a 90-minute special look at the past 12 months told in a light-hearted, informal way – there’s the obvious news headlines of the year but there’s also a big emphasis on entertainment highlights, music, TV and lighter stories.

Hosted by Scott Cam and Leila McKinnon on the roof terrace of The Block in Melbourne, viewers will be guided through the big events of the year by Nine personalities including Tracy Grimshaw, Sylvia Jeffreys, Richard Wilkins and David Campbell, who all host their own individual segments such as local news, international news, sport, local TV, Music, Royals, movies.

And what a year 2018 has been! From the Test cricket sandpaper scandal that ruined the careers of some of Australia’s biggest sporting stars to the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, there has rarely been a dull moment. If there was, then you could always count on US President Donald Trump to spice things up.

What A Year takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride through the year, trying to make sense of it all. There are the award ceremonies from the Oscars to the Logies; the top movies of the year and of course the TV shows that kept us glued to the screen.

We feature the best moments of A Current Affair that resonated with Australians, and have a laugh at the viral clips. On a heavier note, 2018 also generated headlines for plenty of the wrong reasons, including several mass shootings in America and heartbreaking crimes here at home.

What A Year will screen on Nine on Sunday, December 23 at 7pm.

For further information please contact:
Nine Publicity

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Throughout 40 years of 60 Minutes, some stories have featured crimes so heinous or mysteries so inexplicable that they still have us talking.

Whether it be Gable Tostee, Belle Gibson or Peter Scully, they and other unforgettable individuals continue to make headlines to this day.

In the all-new podcast series, 60 Minutes True Crime, available from today, some of these especially memorable stories are revisited by the original reporters as they reflect on why they have stayed with the viewers, as well as themselves.

With introductions from Peter Overton, each of the five original podcasts will feature new insights, previously unheard audio, and updated opinions from those who were closest to the subject matter.

All five episodes are available today from Nine Podcasts, Apple Music and Omny, and you can also listen to a preview.

Imagery for the series and each podcast is available for download HERE.

CATCHING A MONSTER
Australia’s worst paedophile spent four years on the run following his atrocious crimes. Peter Scully thought that by hiding out in a remote corner of the Philippines he was beyond the reach of the law. But Scully was wrong. In this episode, reporter Tara Brown recounts the chilling case as she tracked down and came face-to-face with the depraved predator. What he has to say for himself will leave you stunned.

Reporter: Tara Brown
Original Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau
Podcast Producers: Lydia Bilton, Liz Little, Helen Lunn and Toula Udowenko

WHERE IS BABY TEGAN?
It’s a simple question with a diabolically difficult answer. Is Tegan Lane dead or alive? She was last seen as a two-day-old baby being carried out of a Sydney hospital by her mother Keli, an aspiring Australian Olympian. That was in 1996, but 22 years on, Tegan’s fate remains a mystery. In 2010, Keli was found guilty of murdering her baby daughter, even though her body has never been found. In 2016, in a last desperate bid to prove she is innocent, Keli’s parents Sandra and Robert broke their 20-year silence and spoke to 60 Minutes. In this episode Allison Langdon discusses the mystifying case that gripped the nation.

Reporter: Allison Langdon
Original Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau
Podcast Producers: David Hardaker, Liz Little, Helen Lunn and Toula Udowenko

THE WHOLE HOAX
It was the lie that rocked Australia. A beautiful young woman is given the terrible news she has inoperable brain cancer and only four months to live. Belle Gibson is courageous – she tries chemotherapy and radiotherapy before turning to alternative medicine. It seems to work, and she tells the world through social media, encouraging others to try the treatment. Hers is a truly inspiring story. Hundreds of thousands of sympathetic followers and fellow sufferers live every step of her journey and celebrate her success as she becomes the poster girl for the alternative wellness industry. There’s an award-winning app and a cookbook. But it’s all a lie. As Tara Brown reveals, Belle Gibson profited from the false hope she gave vulnerable people living with cancer. And that is a true crime.

Reporter: Tara Brown
Original Producers: Stephen Taylor and Alice Dalley
Podcast Producers: Lydia Bilton, Liz Little, Helen Lunn and Toula Udowenko

GABLE TOSTEE – THE INTERVIEW
They both wanted uncomplicated, fast sex, and hooking up on the dating app Tinder was the perfect way to do it. But when Gable Tostee met Warriena Wright in 2014, their night of passion ended in death. That was horrific enough, but what drew further condemnation was Tostee’s apparent disregard for Warriena in the seconds and minutes after her fatal fall from his highrise balcony on the Gold Coast in August 2014. Tostee was charged with murder and what followed was one of the most divisive court cases in recent times. In 2016, Tostee was acquitted of the murder, largely because of the audio of Wright’s final moments, which oddly, Tostee had recorded on his smartphone. After his acquittal, Gable Tostee broke a two-year silence and sat down with reporter Liam Bartlett for an extraordinary interview.

Reporter: Liam Bartlett
Original Producers: Nick Greenaway and Grace Tobin
Podcast Producers: Lydia Bilton, Liz Little, Helen Lunn and Toula Udowenko

SAMANTHA KNIGHT: NEVER FORGOTTEN
In this episode, reporter Ross Coulthart remembers the chilling case of Samantha Knight, the angelic nine-year-old Bondi schoolgirl who vanished one day in 1986. Her disappearance led to one of the largest police investigations in New South Wales history but her body has never been found. In 2001, the notorious paedophile Michael Guider was charged with Samantha’s murder, and six months later he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, claiming he hadn’t meant to kill the little girl. To this day, he has not revealed where he hid her body. What happened to Samantha remains her parents’ – indeed every parent’s – worst nightmare.

Reporter: Ross Coulthart
Original Producer: Garry McNab
Podcast Producers: Liz Little, Helen Lunn and Toula Udowenko

For further information or imagery, please contact:
Nine Network Publicity
Jason Evans
jaevans@nine.com.au

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Sunshine Coast sisters Bec and Nicole Giles have been crowned Australia’s Number One Food family in the second series of Family Food Fight on Nine.

Show host, acclaimed chef and restaurateur Matt Moran, announced the result tonight after a hard-fought battle, handing over the title, trophy and the coveted $100,000 prizemoney.

In the finale, the Giles sisters overcame the WA-based Tartaglia family, brothers-in-law Cory and Leon, to be crowned winners of the competition.

Both families were tasked with cooking delicious dishes inspired by three simple words from the judges: Unforgettable, Family and Gold. The Giles sisters impressed the judges with their creative finale-worthy menu, just edging out the gents’ similarly impressive efforts.

Their winning dishes consisted of a Burmese pork belly curry with sticky rice, pickled garlic and chilli, a pasta dish accompanied by bottarga and clams, and a chocolate Guinness cake for dessert, served with chocolate ganache, muscovado and malt ice cream.

The dessert was enough to clinch the win for the girls following a deadlock after the first two dishes. Bec and Nicole were crowned to the cheers of their loved ones and fellow competitors.

The Giles sisters went from strength to strength through the competition, taking inspiration from a world of cuisine including Vietnamese, Korean, Mexican, Italian and Chinese. After winning the first Game Changer challenge early on and surviving dessert chef Anna Polyviou’s incredible-yet-dreaded creations, the girls earmarked themselves as a family to watch.

After being intimidated when the competition began, the sisters came full circle to be over the moon at their win.

Bec said: “We are so overwhelmed and honoured to be crowned the winners and take home the prize. This amount of money has never been possible for us to even imagine, so we look forward to investing it in our future with food.”

Nicole said: “To the Tartaglia family, we couldn’t have asked for better blokes to cook beside. And to everyone else, thank you for making this whole experience one to remember. We love our new extended family.”

All episodes of Family Food Fight available for viewing on-demand on 9Now

Family Food Fight is an Endemol Shine Australia original format developed in conjunction with Nine.

For further information, please contact:
Nine Network Publicity

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

PEDESTRIAN.TV and Allure Media are merging to form Australia’s leading publishing company targeting Gen Z and Millennial audiences.

PEDESTRIAN.TV, one of Australia’s most successful digital publishers, will integrate Allure Media’s publishing assets including leading digital brands such as Business Insider Australia, Gizmodo, Kotaku and POPSUGAR into the Pedestrian Group.

The two publishers reached over 2.998 million Australians in October 2018, with 1.227 million in the hard-to-reach under 35 demographic.

The combined Pedestrian Group will be run by its founders, Chris Wirasinha and Oscar Martin.

“The past thirteen years have been a wild ride for Pedestrian and we’re pumped to welcome Allure Media into the family to create a clear publishing leader for marketers wanting to target young Aussies,” said Wirasinha.

“The Allure brands provide global insights combined with highly targeted and loyal local audiences around premium categories including business, technology, gaming, entertainment, fashion and beauty.

“The combination of the brands alongside Pedestrian’s existing commercial relationships that include Tinder and Big Flick Energy, and our new exciting TV partnership with 9Go!, will give advertisers unprecedented opportunities to reach more millennials and Gen Zers than ever before.”

As part of the changes Allure Media’s existing operations will be restructured, with Allure CEO Jason Scott leaving as the two businesses combine operations. This change has led to a number of redundancies within Allure Media, the majority within support functions across the business.

Staff in the combined business will be co-located in PEDESTRIAN.TV’s new Surry Hills offices from January 2019.

*Nielsen Digital Panel October 2018; All Devices; Combining Pedestrian and Allure Media Network

For more information:
Nic Christensen
Head of Corporate Affairs
nchristensen@nine.com.au

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Rural Aid’s Buy a Bale program begins delivering hay from the proceeds from the Hay Mate Concert for the Farmers in Tamworth on Tuesday, December 11.

The Hay Mate concert was a massive undertaking and featured John Farnham, Guy Sebastian, Daryl Braithwaite, The Veronicas, Andrew Farriss, Jon Stevens, Tim Wheatley, Adam Harvey, Aleyce Simmonds and Nat Conway, all of whom donated their services to raise funds for the farmers during this time of drought.
The Hay Mate concert was supported by the Nine Network who broadcast the event live across Australia raising over $2.8 million dollars.

Today crossed live to Tamworth this morning (Tuesday) for the massive hay giveaway to show Australians how their donations are being used to deliver one of the biggest hay drops of 2018.

The Hay Mate Concert organiser and promoter Glenn Wheatley will present CEO of Rural Aid Charles Alder the cheque from the concert fundraising effort in Tamworth as 255 farmers come to town to collect over 2000 bales of hay to keep their animals alive as the summer bears down. According to Glenn, “This hay drop, and others across NSW, will see the proceeds from Hay Mate delivering support when our farmers need it the most. This is a massive effort on the back of amazing donations from the Australian public.”

The Tamworth region drop will bring $800,000 in hay to the region. Hay Mate will also be providing gift cards and dog food to the families. Total value of this drop will be in excess of $1,000,000.

Further drops of hay are planned for the Milparinka/Tibooburra/Camerons Corner region (far North West NSW). More than $300,000 of hay and transport has started being delivered.

Deliveries have also started in the Peak Hill/Tomingley/Tullamore region (South West of Dubbo). More than $250,000 of hay and transport. started on the weekend and will continue for the next week. Other regions to receive hay include Brewarrina, Coonamble and Narrabri.

As the long-term weather predictions talk of a very hot summer, the funds raised from Hay Mate is making sure as much assistance is delivered before Christmas with up to 1500 tonnes of hay being distributed each week across NSW, Qld and SA.

“We’re thrilled to see the first roll out of proceeds from Hay Mate being put into action, especially coming in time for Christmas, said Adrian Swift Nine’s Head of Content, Production & Development.

“Everyone who donated on the night of the Hay Mate concert should be proud of the contribution they’ve made to help ease the burden on our farmers.”
These hay drops, hamper giveaways and fuel cards will help make the Christmas period more bearable for our Aussie farmers. Many have struggled to afford the basics and this generosity will help many families and their towns get through.

“We’ve been able to buy large amounts of hay from South Australia and deliver to hundreds of farmers” Charles Alder said.

“Drought is decimating communities across Australia, but with programs like Buy a Bale, and more fundraisers like the Hay Mate Tamworth concert, we can all help these communities to make it out the other side,” Glenn Wheatley added,’ Thank you to all who supported Hay Mate. Qantas, Toyota, Woolworth, Nine, News Corp and all the generous people from across Australia who donated, we are going to make a difference for the farmers.

Tuesday, December 11th, 2018

Nine has moved to align its newly combined sales structure in order to create fully integrated marketing solutions for its partners across television, video on demand, digital publishing and print.

Under the new integrated sales structure Nine will co-locate all of the 500-plus sales staff from Nine and Fairfax into its Nine sales offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. This process is expected to be completed by early January.

“Today marks an important milestone in the history of Australian media,” said Michael Stephenson, Nine’s Chief Sales Officer. “The merger creates a media business for the future and the opportunity to provide a fully integrated sales offering across television, video on demand, digital publishing and print, all supported by Australia’s richest data proposition

“The move will significantly enhance our ability to offer more diverse audiences across new channels and create more powerful marketing solutions around our content that work from the top to the bottom of the marketing funnel – something which will be unique to Nine.”

Today, Nine also announced two important new sales roles within the merged business.

Nine’s Pippa Leary is promoted to the newly created role of Director – Sales Strategy and Product Commercialisation. Leary will be responsible for commercial strategy and the monetisation of Nine’s digital and publishing assets. In addition, she will continue to develop Nine’s programmatic sales solutions, and take responsibility for the commercialisation of the combined group’s unique data asset.

“We have a fantastic opportunity based on our suite of high-growth assets and our unique data proposition to create market-leading advertising solutions for our advertisers,” said Stephenson. “There no is no one better in Australia than Pippa Leary to enable us to do that.”

Nine also announced that Matt Rowley is appointed to the newly created role of Director of Sales – Publishing. He will have revenue responsibility for all of Nine’s digital assets – nine.com.au, 9Honey, 9Now, smh.com.au, theage.com.au, afr.com.au, brisbanetimes.com.au and watoday.com.au – as well as the major metro titles: The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Australian Financial Review.

“Matt’s wealth of experience across both client and agency side, in Australia and abroad, together with his understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Australian marketers makes him the perfect person to lead our publishing sales teams in-market,” Stephenson said.

Lizzie Young continues as Nine’s Group Content Strategy Director and will lead a supercharged and fully integrated Powered team in the merged business from day one.

Powered will include a client strategy, insights and effectiveness team alongside content partnerships, client experience and commercial creative studio, all fully integrated and ready to create big ideas across the expanded suite of assets.

“Powered provides access for brands to Australia’s leading content creators across the broadest and most effective media platform in the country,” said Young. “Our ability to create big ideas based around the connection of brands to culture through this content is unrivalled, and we know these partnerships drive true business results.”

“Pippa and Matt will work alongside Richard Hunwick, Director of Sales – Television and Warwick Sharp, Director – Sales Operations to form the new Nine sales leadership team supported by Powered,” said Stephenson.

“We now have the greatest media assets in the country, the best content, the best data product and the best technology. But the most important asset we have are the people who work at Nine across all parts of our business to meet the evolving needs of our partners.

“Pippa, Matt, Lizzie, Rich and Warwick are all exceptional media professionals and great leaders and I can’t wait to begin the next part of our journey as a team.”

For more information:
Nic Christensen
Head of Corporate Affairs
nchristensen@nine.com.au

Monday, December 10, 2018