'Compelling and amazing': Media buyers give their verdict on Nine's Upfronts 2027

Jane Combes, Chief Media Partnerships Officer, OMD

“I think it was excellent tonight to see Nine really pull its full ecosystem together.

“I think the arrival of Nine Outdoor was excellent. From a business perspective, we’re all talking about full-funnel and how brands can really leverage performance and brand, and how we can bring that to the fore for clients. Seeing them bring a commerce solution into the business as well is really exciting.

“From a sport perspective, I think everything we saw tonight was super interesting. Measurement and one unique ID are things that we’ve really been pushing Nine to deliver back to us, and I would love to see what that actually looks like in detail.”

Jennifer Carroll, Head of Planning, Nunn Media

“They talked a lot about creating culture and driving the conversation, and entering the chat. I think that’s incredibly exciting. But one of the ways we use Nine, and an area where Nine has really excelled over the past few years, is through its research.

“So, they’re directing culture and creating culture, but they’re also amazing at reading culture and giving that back to us through insights and an understanding of audiences that we can actually use and take away immediately. I think they’re easily the best in market at understanding who their audience is, what they want, what’s driving them, their motivations, and what they want to watch.

“It’s going to be brilliant for us, because we do some great campaigns and partnerships with QMS. We have a history of doing great partnerships and campaigns with Nine, and now we can connect those together. I think seeing that come to life is really exciting.”

Nik Doble, Chief Investment Officer, Mindshare

“I thought tonight’s presentation was pretty compelling from a Nine perspective. Obviously, with the addition of the QMS properties in Nine Outdoor, it’s an ecosystem that is larger than ever before.

“For us as media professionals, that’s compelling. It potentially means fewer people to deal with to deliver the results we need for our clients. Importantly, as Yunji talked about, there’s a willingness to put more and more skin in the game to quantify media metrics into business outcomes for our clients. So, yeah, it’s a really compelling proposition.

“I wasn’t expecting the advancement around 9Now. Obviously, Nine has led the charge locally in terms of automating the trading and delivery of campaigns and has had great success with that. But to take it to the next level with AI enablement was, for me as the leader of a media-buying team, really compelling in terms of ease of transaction, as well as the guaranteed delivery they promise.”

Peter Toone, Managing Director, PMG

“I think Nine has a really interesting platform in terms of the variety of channels it has brought on board, the scale, the reach, the trusted environment, and the ability to build brands and drive growth.

“The integration, or the launch, of NineNeo is something the industry, and certainly we, have been screaming for: more data, cleaner data, ease of trade and faster optimisation to connect to clients’ business results. So, that was a really promising sign. There were a lot of murmurs from some of the old media buyers in the room about that coming on board, as well as the hint about the alignment with Seven and potentially some other partners. I’d like to know a little more about what that means for supporting local going forward.

“There’s a really long legacy within that business of delivering and building trust.

“A really good example of that is the only locally owned streaming service. There’s their legacy, their commitment and long-term investment in it, and even the commitment to sport and some of those sporting deals for, you know, the next seven or eight years.”

Dave Annesley, Head of Marketing & Communications, Youi

“I think what we saw today was amazing. There’s so much content and so many great opportunities there for our brand. I think the opportunities across all the different formats that Nine produces and publishes will give us the opportunity to build a better-connected ecosystem and deliver our brand promise for our customers and future buyers.

“It definitely surprised us. We love our relationship with our account team. They do an amazing job. But equally, you know, sometimes speed is pretty cool, and we need to work together, both through technology and with our people, to make that a great example. So, NineNeo, to me, is the best example of where we need to lean in, learn and see how that goes.”

Alexandra Thomas, National Trading Lead, Atomic 212º

"Nine’s announcements point to a clear ambition to operate as a more connected media ecosystem, bringing together broadcast, streaming, publishing, outdoor, sport, data and commerce. This reflects the future direction of our industry, where clients increasingly expect media partners to deliver both broad cultural reach and more accountable business outcomes across the customer journey.

"The scale of Nine’s portfolio is undeniable, but the real value lies in making that ecosystem easier for agencies and clients to navigate. If NineNeo can simplify planning, trading and measurement across multiple channels, it has the potential to create meaningful efficiencies and stronger outcomes for advertisers. Agencies need the best ways to connect audiences, content and commerce. Ultimately, success will be defined by transparency, accountability and proof that their integrated approach delivers greater value.

"Premium Australian content remains central to Nine’s proposition, particularly across major sport, entertainment and trusted publishing environments. For our clients, these properties offer the scale and cultural relevance needed to build brands, while Nine’s broader platform and commerce capabilities can extend that engagement closer to measurable action. The strongest future media partnerships will combine quality content, ease of trading, transparent measurement and evidence that integration is delivering genuine incremental value.

“Outdoor has always been an important channel for extending reach and reinforcing brand impact. With Nine owning and operating digital outdoor assets, rather than simply representing them, they have a unique opportunity to strengthen how that channel works within a broader cross-platform strategy.”

Kimberly Stafford, Client Partner, Havas Media

"What stood out from Nine's Upfront wasn't a focus on individual shows or content launches, but rather the continued evolution of their ecosystem. The conversation centred on how Nine's assets work together across television, digital, publishing, audio and out-of-home, with a clear emphasis on making it easier for advertisers to plan, buy and measure audiences through a more connected offering.

“The introduction of Nine Neo is a significant step in that journey, creating a single access point across the network's portfolio. As media continues to become more fragmented, simplifying the path from planning to measurement is increasingly important for advertisers looking to drive impact, efficiency and effectiveness.”

Amy Dascanio, Managing Director, Enigma Media

"The advertising market is at a pivotal point, and Nine’s Upfront was a good reminder that there are still brave businesses willing to invest in Australian talent and content. There was a lot to like about Nine’s ambition, with solid content keeping us captivated throughout what was a stylish and concise event.

"The message was clear, as audiences become increasingly fragmented across screens, platforms and environments, there is a real opportunity to back Australian-owned media.  Of course, Nine shared what’s new from a programming perspective, but that wasn’t the biggest story for me. It felt much more about bringing the broader Nine ecosystem together including QMS becoming Nine Outdoor and showing what that could mean for advertisers.

"Bringing Stan into Nine’s broader advertising ecosystem also feels like a natural next step. It strengthens the drama and entertainment offering while building on Nine’s significant investment in sport, including its NRL rights through to 2034.

"As more global platforms fight for live sport, Nine’s long-term commitment puts it in a strong position. Sport still brings people together in a way few other types of content can, giving Nine a valuable platform to grow audiences and build longer-term advertiser partnerships.

"One of the more interesting elements was the ability to extend streaming audiences and “tribes” beyond the screen and into outdoor and retail environments. For agencies and clients, there is a lot to like about this, particularly the opportunity to connect advertising messages across more of the customer journey.

“But simply owning more assets doesn’t automatically make them connected. The real test will be how easily these platforms can be planned, bought and measured together and whether Nine can prove to the market that its connected ecosystem delivers incremental reach, greater value and better business outcomes for clients.”