ARN Media held its AGM at its new North Sydney HQ this morning. The meeting came just one day after it flagged the exit of Anchorage Capital from its proposed SCA acquisition.

Both ARN chair Hamish McLennan and CEO Ciaran Davis addressed what happens next. As Mediaweek reported yesterday, the company still wants the Triple M network. In the comments below ARN has branded what would be left of SCA, after the acquisition of Triple M and Listnr, as NewSCA.

ARN Media board members joining McLennan and Davis at the AGM were Belinda Rowe, Brent Cubis, Alison Cameron and Paul Connolly.

McLennan commented: “We are focused on progressing the proposal with SCA, and while market restructuring has been talked about for a long time, the fact remains that today’s regulatory environment is not reflective of the market in which Australian media operates and urgently needs government action.”

In his AGM address, Davis started with: “I would like to expand on the indicative proposal outlined by the chairman earlier and one we are submitting to SCA.

“ARN would become a focused metro radio network with 10 quality stations across five capital cities, anchored by the KIIS and Triple M brands in each location. It will have a significantly larger, growing and profitable regional radio footprint connected with local communities and benefit from ARN learnings from the successful acquisition of stations from Grant Broadcasting.

“Revenues would be $440m+ with EBITDA of $105m+ excluding the opportunity for accelerated growth via 100% ownership in a scaled digital audio business that is expected to contribute meaningfully to profit and cash flow in the near term.

See also: Anchorage pulls pin on ARN and SCA deal due to regional TV decline

Ciaran Davis on NewSCA

“NewSCA would own a national network of 44 radio stations, comprised of 5 HIT branded and 3 Gold branded metro stations and 36 regional markets and 96 regional television signals.

“It would be ASX listed with an independent board and management and is expected to have approximately $350m of FY24F revenue and $40m of combined FY24F radio and television EBITDA on a stand-alone basis before adjusting for expected margin expansion from identified material cost efficiency initiatives.

“NewSCA would operate with a conservative capital structure of approximately 1x. NewSCA would enter into a long-term content supply agreement with the ARN-owned digital audio platform unlocking a new revenue stream and enabling both parties to benefit from the combined scale and efficiency of investment in digital audio.

“In addition, it will have full optionality to participate in expected future media market restructuring of radio and TV assets, in whole or on a separated basis.

“ARN continues to considers the acquisition of certain SCA radio assets and the combination of ARN and SCA digital audio assets as a unique and actionable opportunity.

“This highly strategic proposal proactively positions both businesses for the future as the Australian media sector evolves. The commercial rationale is well understood. It aims to unlock both immediate and long-term value creation for both sets of shareholders.

“After many months of diligence, the transaction is actionable now and able to be undertaken efficiently without undue execution risk.

“To reiterate, ARN remains committed to delivering an attractive and certain outcome to SCA shareholders at the earliest possible date and we are prepared to work with SCA to review the ARN and NewSCA transaction perimeters optimising the strategic and value outcome for both sets of shareholders.”

The Victorian Government held a State Memorial Service for ad industry icon Harold Mitchell in Melbourne on Monday morning. Virginia Trioli hosted the service.

The audience inside Melbourne’s Hamer Hall heard how Mitchell’s influence in shaping Australia as a media force began at the age of 16. His service to the community and generosity lasted a lifetime.

Harold Mitchell died in February 2024 at the age of 81. The memorial service was held on what would have been his 82nd birthday – 13 May 2024.

Mitchell founded the communications group Mitchell & Partners in 1976. As the business grew, he created a formidable reputation both locally and globally. Mitchell spent years rejecting acquisition deals from all the global holding companies before selling the agency to Britain’s Aegis Group in 2012 for $363 million.

But as his son Stuart Mitchell detailed during two appearances on stage at the service, it was far from smooth sailing all the way.

Harold Mitchell’s son, Stuart Mitchell

Mitchell also launched the Harold Mitchell Foundation in 2000 and was a major contributor to the arts and Australian public life.

The Harold Mitchell Foundation confirmed his passing in February, stating he died “whilst recuperating from knee replacement surgery”.

“He was a wonderful man who helped so many. He will be sadly missed,” said the statement.

During his career, Mitchell also served as chairman of Free TV Australia from 2013 to 2018, where he was involved in the repeal of the media ownership laws, the removal of commercial television licence fees, the transition to digital-only television, defeating the proposal to increase SBS advertising time limits, and maintaining the anti-siphoning list.

He also worked on the boards of institutions, including the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Opera Australia, and Tennis Australia.

See also: Industry remembers media industry legend Harold Mitchell after his passing at 81

Host Virginia Trioli

Memorial Service guests

The service was attended by representatives of the Governor General, the Victorian Governor, and the Prime Minister. The current Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan spoke, while former state premiers in the audience were Daniel Andrews, Steve Bracks, and Jeff Kennett. Bracks also spoke. Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp was also in attendance.

In addition to the speakers mentioned below, guests included News Corp Australia’s Peter Zavecz and Peter Blunden, RyanCap’s Simon Ryan, Seven’s Kurt Burnette and Peter Charles, Omnicom’s Peter Horgan, OMD’s Kenny Stewart, PHD’s Simon Lawson, Zenith’s Jason Tonelli, Initiative’s Sarah James, former Dentsu boss Luke Littlefield, QMS’ John O’Neill and Barclay Nettlefold, Eddie McGuire, trucking boss Lindsay Fox and Guideline SMI’s Jane Ractliffe.

Steve Bracks

Tribute highlights: Stuart Mitchell

Victorian Premier Allan said: “He was the boy who went from nothing to doing everything he could to make Victoria smarter, better, and fairer. Harold’s early years were nomadic, and there was a restlessness about the future that would stay with him for life.

“Like many kids with big dreams growing up in small towns, he became obsessed with the radio lying on his bed and listening to 3DB. Radio and television opened up an exciting world. He said it felt like the city was right there in his room. Melbourne was where he wanted to be – the city was his dream. After spotting an ad in The Age for an office boy at the advertising agency, Harold made a long-distance phone call, which back in 1959 was a big deal. Soon after, he had his first job in the city.”

Harold’s son Stuart Mitchell spoke twice during the service. During his first time onstage, Stuart noted his father’s extraordinary success. However, he wanted to focus on parts of his life not so well known. “Dad started his own business when my sister Amanda was two and I was six. He wasn’t around much but life was OK. We lived in St Andrews, 45k from Melbourne in a new home on a 30-acre property. Dad was around most weekends and usually brought home fish and chips on a Friday night on his way home from work.”

He recounted how the family would often dine on Chinese food – it took Harold about 90 minutes to complete the round trip to the nearest Chinese restaurant. Stuart remembered one day when that routine changed. “We were amazed when he reappeared in minutes with all the usual goodies. ‘How did you get back so quickly?’ Amanda and I asked. He explained how he had sponsored a family from Shanghai to come out and run a local Chinese restaurant just five minutes away. That was so dad. Pure Harold. Anything could be fixed.”

Anne Parsons

Virginia Trioli put Harold on air

Virginia Trioli remembered how she invited Harold onto her then radio show for a regular guest spot. “I’ve known Harold since 2001 when I asked him to join me on my 774 ABC Melbourne drive program for a regular segment.

“I always really enjoyed reading his very clever and witty comments on politics in the media. But what would we call the segment? He asked me and no description seemed adequate to take in his restless mind and all of his curiosities. I jokingly suggested the grand title ‘The world according to Harold Mitchell’ – he didn’t turn a hair. He said, ‘yeah, that’s about right.’ He was the perfect radio guest. Fearless and funny. He was sly and provocative.”

Trioli also commented: “Harold was, of course, a bit of a dandy. With elegant shoes and colourful trousers and of course his famous red tracksuit.”

Video tributes from Kerry Stokes and Anne Parsons

There were a number of people who provided video tributes. Most of them were from outside the media, which demonstrated how wide Mitchell’s reach was in not just the Melbourne community, but across Australia and the world.

Former media agency boss Anne Parsons spoke about standing up to Harold and having fun sparring with him.

Outdoor advertising pioneer David Nettlefold said: “I could talk to him like nobody was talking to him. I was probably one of the only guys who could walk into his office without an appointment. I’ve never known anyone so intellectually brilliant.”

Kerry Stokes started by saying how sad he was at not being able to attend the service in person. He then described his friend: “Relentless, tough, curious, generous. A visionary powerhouse. Harold was all of these things. To me he was a business associate and a great friend. A valued friend for decades.”

Kerry Stokes

During his 10-minute tribute, Stokes couldn’t recall when they first met. However, he remembered Mitchell’s involvement in an early Stokes radio investment.

“We worked together when we launched Perth’s first ever commercial FM radio station – 96FM in 1980. It was early days and our ratings and revenue were pretty poor. Harold saw the potential of this new media platform and the opportunities for advertisers to reach new audiences. He said once 96FM was on its feet, the rest would follow. He was right.”

Stokes recalled how they were both later on the board of the National Gallery of Australia. “He helped me fund the commissioning of David Hockney’s A Bigger Grand Canyon. At the time it cost $5.3m. It was the most expensive acquisition for the National Gallery at that point. Harold was a good judge – these days that painting is worth close to $70m.”

The Carlton footy fan

Carlton Football Club coach Michael Voss said Mitchell, a lifelong supporter, embodied the values of the club. “His humility and unity were striking. Harold’s contribution helped transform our facilities to a world-class status that our athletes and coaches are grateful to make the most of each and every day. I’m sure I won’t be the only person who references the fact that Harold never sought any recognition for his immense generosity.”

Scash and Swifte on years at Mitchell & Partners

Former Mitchell & Partners colleagues Allen Scash and Nick Swifte recalled their years working alongside Harold Mitchell in the media agency.

Scash offered: “Harold was profoundly loyal to those that he called his people, his staff, his managers, his clients, and even in some cases, his suppliers. He only asked in return for his loyalty was honesty. He wanted the truth even if you were delivering bad news.”

Swifte noted some of the details about life at Mitchell & Partners. “There were always the rules – you had to play by the rules. You were never allowed to go for a long lunch. The men had to be in suits and ties and shave every day. But if you knew how to work within the rules, you could have a bit of fun. We ended up running one of the greatest unlicensed bars in all of Melbourne, Harold’s Bar and Grill out of the back door of the York Street boardroom.”

Allen Scash and Nick Swifte

When Stuart Mitchell spoke for a second time, close to the end of the memorial, he recalled a time when things didn’t go well.

“October 1987 and everything changed for our family. The global stock market crashed. Harold Mitchell became a different man overnight. His rapid business expansion left him heavily exposed. He had to sell everything and mortgage the family home.”

Stuart noted how Harold refused advice to declare himself bankrupt. “He borrowed money from Kerry Packer to keep the business running, and accept his arrangement with the bank to pay back 10s of millions of dollars in monthly instalments.

“We hardly saw Howard again in our childhood. He refocused on what he knew best – advertising. But more importantly, he started gathering around him a select group of advisers to create an economic forecasting model which would ensure they would never have to go through anything like the 1987 crash again.”

Independent creative studio Supermassive has announced a partnership with CommBank’s venture scaler, x15ventures, to launch the app Truyu, Mediaweek can reveal.

Available on the App Store and Google Play Store, Truyu is an Australian-first digital protection tool that issues alerts when a user’s identity is deemed at risk or is being misused online at major merchants.

In partnership with the x15ventures team, Supermassive developed the go-to market strategy, including the name, brand positioning, and brand identity of the product, which is inspired by the app’s ability to verify and protect user identity in real time i.e. the “true you”.

Supermassive also worked with visual solutions company Common Design on the Truyu’s brand design. 

Jon Austin, co-founder of Supermassive, said Truyu is “the first product of its kind and we can’t wait to see how it helps people.” 

“Identity fraud is a significant problem facing Australians, so we were thrilled to be invited to work on creating the name, logo, brand identity and go-to-market strategy for this product from the ground up – a rare opportunity,” he told Mediaweek.

The technology driving Truyu’s ID usage alerts was developed with global digital identity specialist, GBG.

In the event of identity misuses, Truyu will provide links and remediation prompts to help customers secure their information and mitigate further harm or loss. It will also alert users if an email address has been compromised by a data breach, offering proactive guidance to help improve online security. 

The initiative comes in the wake of growing identity theft in Australia, with nearly 200,000 victims reported in the last financial year – a 25% year-on-year increase.

Truyu progressed to public pilot status within just five months. In its current launch status, the app is set to test the proposition and gather feedback from customers and the industry.

Managing director of x15, Toby Norton-Smith, added that “tackling the financial, emotional, and social impacts of identity fraud is an important issue, and we’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in our first five months.”

As the first service of its kind in Australia, Norton-Smith noted “there is tremendous value in getting Truyu into the hands of customers quickly, so we can learn at pace and see if what we’ve built is the right solution.”

“We believe cross-industry collaboration on fraud and scams will yield the greatest impact and look forward to sharing what we learn with government and industry.”

Earlier this month, Medium Rare Content Agency announced it has produced a television series in conjunction with Boomtown Pictures for CommBank, to air on Network 10, titled The Brighter Side. 

The eight-week television series aims to inform Australians with practical tips and new ideas to help them take control of their financial future.

See also: Medium Rare launches financial TV series with CommBank

MasterChef Australia and Crown Resorts launched a new pop-up restaurant, ALUMNI, at Crown Melbourne to promote the new season, seeing a rotating cast of alumni serve dishes at the pop-up restaurant.

Each ALUMNI chef will take up a rotating residency for three weeks, commencing with Kishwar Chowdhury (16 May-2 June), Callum Hann (6-23 June) and Khanh Ong (27 June-14 July), with a surprise fourth MasterChef Australia chef to be announced in late June. 

The restaurant is a collaboration between media agency Initiative, integrated creative agency Mediabrands Content Studio, Paramount Brand Studio, and Endemol Shine Australia.

Ahead of its opening on 16 May, head of integration and partnerships, Paramount Brand Studio Tamar Hovegimian; Crown Resorts EGM of brand and marketing Yolanda Uys; chief strategy and product officer at Initiative Chris Colter; head of original and integrated content, Mediabrands Content Studios Angélica Naranjo; and Endemol Shine’s director of content, Melbourne Marty Benson all spoke with Mediaweek about how the project is challenging traditional brand sponsorships. 

How does the ALUMNI project challenge traditional brand sponsorships?

Hovagimian: This partnership feels more like a collaboration, rather than a traditional sponsorship, which I think sets it apart from the norm. We obviously aim for this level in all of our partnerships, but this one stands out given the unique approach and the scale behind it.

We’re all effectively working together to create an authentic experience for MasterChef fans, and I think our collective expertise in our respective fields have all come together to bring this project to life, which makes it truly something special and unique, at a scale we’ve not really seen before.

Tamar Hovagimian, Paramount ANZ

How is ALUMNI supporting emerging chefs while executing an effective campaign for the MasterChef brand?

Uys: ALUMNI is providing a platform for these emerging chefs to showcase their craft to the thousands of guests who visit Crown Melbourne’s world-class restaurants and bars each day. Discovering diverse and talented Australian cooks is at the heart of the MasterChef brand and ALUMNI is a wonderful celebration of this legacy. This collaboration not only elevates the profile of these emerging chefs, but also brings the MasterChef brand to life for Australian foodies, extending beyond the TV screen to a tangible dining experience.

Yolanda Uys

This partnership is a key part of the continued evolution of Crown’s brand, positioning our resorts as leading entertainment destinations in Australia. Food is a key pillar of this, so this partnership is a fitting execution to bring this pillar to life and continue our commitment to bringing interesting experiences to our guests and cities.

What was the strategy behind the idea?

Colter: The best sponsorships are those where a brand looks to contribute and evolve the experience, as opposed to just surrounding it. Whenever we look at opportunities for brand alignments and to create cultural impact, we always look at where are the areas that we have a role to play, a meaningful role to play, in that ecosystem.

Now, what I would say is that Crown is a very iconic but also an equally ambitious brand. They want to be seen as a world-class entertainment destination, whether that is dining, music, sport, events, hospitality or all of the above. The strategy that sat behind this was, you’ve got to earn your crown to be a world-class entertainment brand. So, you need to create experiences that no other brand has, will, or can, and drive that sort of fervor in culture.

Chris Colter

With dining being a core passion pillar, MasterChef was obviously top of our radar. As arguably the most iconic dining property that exists in culture and has been so for years, we saw an opportunity to tap into that, but also to create new ‘news’ and elevate the show, to further broaden the experience that fans have grown to love over the years. Now we’re actually enabling fans to not just see the amazing food but taste it. And I think that for us was the really rich opportunity.

What I would like to say on this as well is that ALUMNI was such an ambitious idea. One of those ideas you can easily put to a client, and get a response like, ‘Oh wait, not only do I have to pay for the sponsorship, but I’ve got to then set up and fund a restaurant… I’ve got to do all of this extra heavy lifting on top of agreeing to the sponsorship itself?’ We appreciate the costs and the orchestration of an idea of this magnitude are second to none but so was the opportunity.

Testament to the marketing team at Crown and the entire organisation for also seeing this opportunity for what it’s worth, and the fact that it’s performing so well so early just shows that if you actually go all in on an idea and you do it properly, the commercial returns are magnified.

How was the strategy executed effectively?

Naranjo: We knew that our main role in bringing this to life was to make sure those credentials around delivering world-class unique experiences was always front of mind.

We weren’t going down a traditional road of integration into a single IP touchpoint around the broadcast. Obviously, that’d be the most obvious one, but it had to be a living, breathing thing that expanded across the entire Crown ecosystem and across MasterChef as well and to play to both of those strengths.

So, we looked at the arsenal of an ALUMNI night that the show has amassed through its previous 15 seasons, but we also looked at how Crown’s own superstar talent like Guillaume Brahimi have been connected to the show to make sure that we were telling something that felt cohesive to a MasterChef fan, but it also had to appeal to foodies out there.

Angélica Naranjo

I think the task that we focus on the most to successfully deliver an integration, and it’s certainly the case for this one, is how we nailed the use of the IP and the talent.

Like the idea itself, it’s been honestly an ever-evolving exercise of collaboration, tissuing, stretching, pulling down ideas, bringing them back on up again with Crown, Paramount, and Endemol, because every single touch point of IP is completely deliberate and purposeful in how it’s promoting not only the ALUMNI restaurant experience itself, but other venues across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

We had the double job of creating this restaurant, but making sure that we are talking about the Crown master brand and delivering to the business.

How does this project demonstrate the maturity of the franchise and IP?

Benson: The fact that we’re still getting new sponsors in season 16 shows the strength of our brand. But equally, we’ve also had the same major sponsor in Coles from the very beginning. And there’s a reason for that. It’s like they’re a perfect match for us, Coles and MasterChef. And I think Crown coming in and joining MasterChef is another perfect match.

Marty Benson

Crown and MasterChef are both power brands in Australia and both lean into food. Another reason why it’s a perfect match is because MasterChef is all about realising our contestants’ dreams, and most of our contestants dream of going into the food space and opening up their own restaurants.

But having the opportunity like this to run your own service in that incredible space in Crown, for a certain amount of time, to really get a taste of it, is just unbelievable. But also, I think the maturity in the brand is the fact that Crown trusts MasterChef contestants to come in and own the space within Crown, that speaks volumes.

It was really hard to decide who would be the best for this, but we wanted different types of food and Australian culture. With Callum, Khanh, and Kishwar, you’ve got modern Australian, Vietnamese, and Indian and it’s such a beautiful spread of cuisines.

Colter: All too often, we see particularly reality shows spike and go down because the novelty’s worn off. The fact that MasterChef is breaking records in terms of viewership this year just shows it’s not just a mature program, but it’s still fresh, it’s still exciting, it’s still got energy behind it.

What the guys at Endemol and Paramount are doing around continually pushing the format forward, the way they’re bringing the marketing to life in a really innovative, future-forward way, and inviting sponsors to enrich the story of MasterChef is delivering on the actual promise of the property itself.

–

MasterChef Australia is produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay company). The format was created by Franc Roddam and represented internationally by Banijay Rights.

MasterChef Australia’s Season 16 premiere recorded a total TV national reach of 1,423,000, a total TV national audience of 776,000, and a BVOD audience of 57,000.

Penny Shell has joined Zenith Australia in the newly-created role of chief strategy and product officer after a stint consulting with the Publicis Group agency.

In the role, she will oversee strategy, planning, and product capabilities core to the ‘Imagination’ pillar of Zenith Australia’s proposition of ‘investment, imagination, and insight’.

“We are delighted to have Penny come on board to lead our product and strategy offering locally,” Jason Tonelli, CEO of Zenith Australia, said.

“As an internationally award-winning strategist with more than 20 years’ experience in media and strategy roles, Penny is the ideal person to further elevate the Imagination tenet of our business to uncover new opportunities for competitive advantage for our clients.”

Shell will also focus on identifying and building best-in-class media and communications solutions that drive growth and deliver strong brand and business outcomes for Zenith’s clients.

She will be based in Zenith’s Melbourne office, and co-national heads of strategy and planning, Sarah Heitkamp and Simon Schoen, will report to her.

Shell said of her appointment: “After spending the last four months consulting with the team at Zenith Australia, I couldn’t pass up the chance to be a permanent member of the agency in creating true innovative products and building exciting solutions to close industry gaps.

“It’s a privilege to join Zenith Australia at a time of such momentum and growth and I look forward to working with our incredible strategy, digital, planning and commerce leads to realise media’s potential to deliver new ROI for our clients.”

Shell has been working as an independent consultant on strategy, product, brand and media for the past six months at her own company, Shell Media.

Prior to her consultant role, she was chief product officer and Melbourne head of product and national head of planning at OMD Australia.

–

Top image: Penny Shell

Independent creative agency Special has won the Cricket Australia account for the upcoming marquee Men and Women’s International Series, following a competitive pitch process.

The appointment, which took effect on 1 May, sees the agency tasked with creating a unifying idea for the international series that generates excitement, while strengthening its reputation as a must-attend event this summer.  

Commenting on the win, partner at Special, Bec Stambanis, said that “international cricket is the heartbeat of summer in this country and there is nothing quite like the anticipation of two great nations coming together to battle it out.”

She added: “We could not be more excited to partner with Cricket Australia on this next chapter and we are inspired by the ambition and passion of the CA team.”

Cricket Australia’s head of brand and marketing, Teresa Basile, also said the team was “very excited to be working with Special on our creative campaign for the upcoming international summer of cricket.

“It’s going to be a big summer with India, England, Pakistan, and New Zealand all touring this season and we can’t wait to see the campaign come to life in the lead up and during these series.”

In March, The Seven Network unveiled Cricket Australia’s International Cricket Schedule for the 2024-25 season, including the Men’s Test Series against India and the Women’s Series against New Zealand, India, and England. 

The men’s series begins with Pakistan against Australia in three One Day Internationals and three T20Is. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India follows with the NRMA Insurance West Test from 22 to 26 November at Perth Stadium.

This will be followed by the Day-Night Test (6-10 December) at Adelaide Oval; the Brisbane Test (14-18 December) at The Gabba; the Boxing Day Test (26-30 December) at the MCG, and the Pink Test (3-7 January 2025) at Sydney Cricket Ground.

The women’s series starts with a CommBank T20I series against New Zealand and a One Day International series against India, followed by The Ashes against England. The multiformat series includes three One Day Internationals, three T20s and the Day-Night Test at the MCG, Melbourne from 30 January – 2 February.

The Cricket Australia win follows Special’s most recent work for Australian yogurt company Gippsland Dairy. The new brand platform, Slow Good, celebrates patience in a nod to the unique, time-consuming process by which the Gippsland product is crafted. 

See also: Gippsland Dairy celebrates ‘Slow Good’ in new platform via Special

“It’s show business, not show friends,” Osher Günsberg has told listeners of his Better Than Yesterday podcast after two shows that he hosted – The Bachelor and The Masked Singer – were cut.

Last week, Network 10 confirmed it axed both shows for the year. Günsberg had hosted both franchises since their debuts in 2019 and 2013, respectively, telling podcast listeners, “I had a fairly decent idea that this was going to happen.”

Despite the blow, Günsberg described the last week as “really very, very funny for me, because it’s not the first time that I’ve lost two jobs in the same day.”

Reflecting on the cancellation of the original run of Australian Idol, Günsberg described himself as “absolutely broken,” before finding his feet due to the help of a mentor.

“There was my mentor, David, who has guided me and helped me as I learn how to live life on life’s terms. I said, ‘David, I’ve just lost the last two jobs that I’ve had in the last 18 hours’, and without missing a beat he says, ‘Well, I’m excited for you pal, that means there’s bigger plans for you’.

“I was shocked that he did not want a front row ticket to the pity party I was throwing. So repeating myself, I said, ‘I don’t think you heard me, man. I’m now unemployed.’ And again, he’s like, ‘No, I don’t think you heard me. I am excited for you. This means there are bigger and better things ahead for you.'”

Günsberg continued, saying the reframe “absolutely changed everything,” with the news that “my new job was to invent the next job I was going to do.”

When confirming that The Bachelor and The Masked Singer wouldn’t be returning, a Network 10 spokesperson said the resting of the franchises would “give Osher a moment to rest his voice which has worked overtime screaming ‘Take It Off’ and simultaneously dropping to a whisper to deliver the iconic line of ‘I’m sorry, but you did not receive a rose.'”

See Also: 10 confirms axing of The Bachelor and The Masked Singer

Osher Günsberg will continue to narrate Bondi Rescue, with Season 18 set to air later in 2024.

Could it really be five years already since the launch of Ticker? Australia’s first-to-market FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming Television) news and business network launched in mid-2019.

Founder and CEO Ahron Young told Mediaweek that, across those years, Ticker has grown its audience and revenue, and built a strong management team along the way.

“We’ve learned a lot in the last five years,” he said about the business, whose early challenges included navigating Covid.

Not every move has been a winner. But the platform has been nimble enough to move quickly to adapt. “The TV industry and the tech sector have changed rapidly, so it’s been like learning to ice skate during an earthquake while a tsunami warning has been issued,” said Young.

See also: Ticker launches five FAST channels with new programs on a new app

Ticker milestones and highlights

• Audience growth: Young explained the audience has grown 35% year-on-year with increased programming and distribution. Ticker is the main Australian-based news channel on Fetch TV. It has added additional streaming platforms in the US, Europe, and Asia. The network recently renewed its agreement with Foxtel Group’s Hubbl and Flash.

• Revenue: Ticker’s FAST revenue continues to grow from its global distribution deals, climbing 17% year-on-year.

• New website: After a major upgrade, the website leans into a TV first, Netflix-like experience which Young said focuses on the live channels and shows. The Ticker App has also been redesigned, featuring five FAST channels, including the Airport Economist channel, hosted by Prof Tim Harcourt.

• B2B-B2C commercial strategy caters to both B2B and B2C markets. Young: “CEOs and marketing directors come to Ticker to help produce insightful content that plays well across our network and theirs.”

• Marketing expertise: Kane Ricca joined Ticker this year as marketing director. “Kane brings to Ticker innovative strategies from global brands to elevate our growth,” said Young.

“As Ticker celebrates its fifth birthday in August, we remain committed to investing in premium, original content and a unique viewing experience for a global audience,” added Ricca.

Ticker’s Kane Ricca

Distribution and content

Ticker continues to add global distributors each month. Additions this year include Comcast Xumo, SlingTV, and FreeCast TV in the US. There are also two new distributors across India.

A round-up of Ticker programming includes:

In America Today with Veronica Dudo is a daily show from New York focusing on the forthcoming US election.

Hot Shots with Ahron Young focuses on the big stories in news, tech and business. Ticker Now is hosted by Mike Loder on weekdays, with a focus on tech, money and entertainment.

Ahron & Mike LIVE is hosted by Mike Loder and Ahron Young, with a mix of the content they love to talk about.

“We aren’t a content aggregator,” said Young. “We heavily invest in producing original programs and documentaries every day. Even though FAST is new, distributors demand established, experienced presenters and a polished product. That’s what Ticker delivers.”

Ticker programming

Ticker and tech

Young said that in 2024, Ticker continues to invest heavily in technology, introducing new studio cameras, microphones and lighting, and launching new portals supported by AI to facilitate dozens of guest appearances each day.

Young has recently been invited to speak in New York at industry events for American broadcasters about positioning and financial strategy. The other panel members at the NAB Show in New York were Jennifer Donohue, SVP of Disney advertising sales, Sonali Pathak, SVP, business development and strategy, local, at NBCUniversal, Adam Ostrow, chief digital officer at Tegna, and Tom Sly, VP of enterprise strategy at The E.W. Scripps Co.

Ahron Young on a panel talking about Ticker at the National Association of Broadcasters annual NAB Show earlier this year

Young said: “I’m really excited by where Ticker is today. We have bootstrapped this company from startup five years ago, without any seed funding or major investment, and grown our revenue organically, by listening to our clients and building a platform that works.”

Top image: Platform anchors Ahron Young, Veronica Dudo, and Mike Loder

“Taking a bit of a risk” and “going for the big play” are essential ingredients for growth in 2024, according to Josh Faulks, CEO of the AANA.

Another key factor is creativity. “The growth and performance of brands that are creative is three times more than the others. So creativity keeps coming up,” Faulks said.

Faulks was the first guest on the new season of News Corp’s The Growth Distillery’s Reset for Growth vodcast series, in collaboration with the AANA. Faulks was interviewed by News Corp’s director of the Growth Intelligence Centre and independent think tank The Growth Distillery, Dan Krigstein.

When asked what he believes the industry is focusing too much on, Faulks told Krigstein: “We tend to talk ourselves down a lot in Australia,” and that even though the industry is feeling the effects of wider economic headwinds, “that doesn’t mean there’s not pockets of opportunity within the economy.”

“We as marketers need to really think creatively about how we can target where that wealth is. We don’t back ourselves enough, we don’t take those big risks, and in a challenging economic climate where there are cost pressures and the margins are squeezed, you’re even less likely to take that risk.”

Speaking to Mediaweek at AANA’s annual flagship event, RESET, Faulks added: “As marketers, we need to talk more positively about the economy. We spoke about taking big risks and being willing to fail. We spoke about what we would change, I think that’s a big one for me as well.

“Switching attitudes around to defending and promoting positivity about the industry is a really good thing.”

The mini-series aims to spotlight the ‘out of the box’ thinking that has boosted brand’s growth, diving into topics including leadership, creativity, relevance, and the stories of people who have done things differently. Episodes will be released weekly for six weeks beginning today, 14 May. 

See also: ‘We need to come together to defend our industry’: Josh Faulks opens AANA RESET

–

Top Image: Josh Faulks

A group called The Village has been created to empower, connect, and advocate for parents with media careers.

The community is backed by industry leaders and a dedicated volunteer network, offering a platform for collaboration, mentorship, and resource-sharing. The Village wants to help create a more inclusive and sustainable media landscape for generations to come for industry professionals who are planning a family, expecting, or already caring for children.

The Village was co-founded by working parents Louise Wilson, head of new and emerging business, LinkedIn marketing solutions and Lauren Thornborough, client partner at UM.

Recent independent research commissioned by The Village revealed that 80% of surveyed parents in media cited an overbearing mental load as a barrier to peak performance.

Thornborough said: “This alarming statistic clearly demonstrates the need for this cohort to connect, share experiences, and navigate the complexities of balancing parenthood and career aspirations. Failure to provide adequate support risks further attrition of experienced talent from the industry.”

James Ledger, consultant, The Client Relationship Consultancy, emphasised the ripple effect of talent churn on agencies and advertisers alike, noting the importance of initiatives like The Village.

“One of the biggest frustrations clients have is their agency teams are becoming more junior,” Ledger said.

“Clients are becoming increasingly concerned they are missing out on the strategic counsel, guidance, and support that comes with a more experienced team. In light of this, I applaud The Village, as a well-needed initiative designed to inspire, energise and motivate a more senior agency workforce. That is good news for agencies, their people, and their clients.”

Thornborough added: “Every individual needs a community they can connect and navigate life with. I wish The Village existed when I returned from maternity leave; somewhere to meet like-minded people, to share advice and receive the mentorship I needed to see a future in the media industry.”

The Village already has the support of several prominent industry bodies including the MFA, IMAA, and IAB Australia. oOh!media is supporting the program as a Foundational Partner.

The Village’s volunteer workforce is supported by an advisory board including: Angeline Lee, Venessa Hunt, Jacquie Alley, Scott Laird, Kim Portrate, Mediaweek’s Ricky Chanana, Anathea Ruys, Georgie Nichols, Claire Tsubono and Greg Graham.

The organisation offering will include regular workshops, peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities, and an online community. The inaugural workshop series is scheduled to commence late-2024. The Village will also launch a member newsletter highlighting family-friendly workplaces and resources.

–

Top image: Lauren Thornborough and Louise Wilson

iSelect has launched its latest creative brand platform, Save More, via independent creative agency Howatson+Company, with spots that feature missing your husband’s “pig life crisis” and your wife’s second marriage, plus your existence becoming a local myth.

It marks the first creative work from Howatson since its appointment to the brand‘s account in December.

The platform highlights iSelect’s mission to make Australians’ lives easier by saving them time, effort, and money on their household bills.  

Directed by Benji Weinstein, the campaign of comical extremes pokes fun at the consequences of spending too much time researching and comparing utilities, insurance, and household bills in a world overwhelmed by choice. 

Launched on 12 May, the campaign has been rolling out across TV, cinema, BVOD, online video, and OOH channels, with additional support across digital and owned placements. 

Lucy Rayment, executive of brand and customer at iSelect, said that “while it’s true that some Aussies do enjoy comparing every provider all by themselves, most find it complicated and time-consuming and would rather be doing other things they really love.”

“Our latest brand campaign aims to remind Aussies that iSelect and our Comparison Experts are here to help so they can get back to enjoying more of what matters to them most,” she said.  

Howatson+Company’s executive creative directors, Richard Shaw and Jeremy Hogg, added that “there’s a clear ambition, from both a business and advertising point of view, to move the brand forward.”

“The launch of this platform complements this ambition perfectly, showcasing iSelect’s mission to help all Australians save time, effort and money,” they said.  

Last week, Howatson+Co launched its first work for Australian payments company Tyro, unveiling a refreshed brand identity along with a brand campaign: Into business big time. The work was Howatson+Co’s first for Tyro since being appointed its creative and digital media agency of record in late 2023.

See also: Howatson+Co launches first work for Tyro

Creative innovation studio R/GA Australia has appointed Marie Conley to the role of executive strategy director. 

Conley was most recently strategy partner at The Pharm/VML, based in London. There, she led WPP’s global partnership with Walgreen Boots Alliance, combining brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to drive growth.

While stationed in the UK, Conley held senior strategy roles at TBWA, Fold7 and MullenLowe.

Commenting on her appointment, Conley said that “after almost 12 years in London, and many roles trying to entice me home, R/GA was the one that finally got me.

“I’ve always worked across multiple strategic disciplines, both at large global networks and smaller boutique agencies – and I didn’t want to compromise on that. Ideas that are unshackled from a specific discipline are the ones that unlock growth.

“R/GA’s newly evolved studio model embodies this approach, and I’m so excited to embark on this new journey with them.”

Michael Titshall, APAC CEO at R/GA, said that “brand strategy fundamentals remain constant, but to be effective today, marketing needs to flex and adapt in new ways to evolving channels, behaviours and customer expectations. So diversity of thought within our team is crucial.”

He continued: “Marie brings an unique perspective and skill set that seamlessly integrates brand, data, communications, technology, and customer experience thinking. And she’ll help deliver impactful solutions tailored to the needs of brands.”

Conley is the latest in a series of new appointments by R/GA, including Seamus Higgins rejoining as chief creative officer for Australia in June last year, and Tish Karunarathna becoming executive director of client services to lead R/GA Public Practice, announced in March.

See also:
R/GA Australia announces four new senior appointments to public practice division
R/GA ramps up Australian offering with a slew of new hires and promotions

–

Top Image: Marie Conley

‘Obsessed’ is a monthly deep dive into social and cultural trends that can help marketers inform the way they think. Led by Kate O’Loughlin, Initiative strategist and self-confessed obsessive, ‘Obsessed’ will be a magic school bus to expand marketing mindsets and help brands remain relevant amongst an ever-changing cultural landscape.

This month, I’ve been obsessed with the Met Gala.

The first Monday of May is a day forever immortalised as fashion’s Super Bowl. The Met Gala is an event held annually to raise funds for the Costume Institute of New York by tying a charity gala theme to an Institute display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 2024, the exhibition ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,’ will feature approximately 250 items drawn from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, many of which have rarely been seen in public before.

The red carpet theme which resulted was ‘The Garden of Time’, drawing inspiration from a short story of the same name by JG Ballard.

As expected, the Met Gala once again drew the attention of the internet and brought with it a slew of armchair fashion experts to critique who was/wasn’t on theme, best/worst dressed, and many more couture critiques… me included.

It’s not purely the fashion which has piqued my interest, though, but more the broader event commentary which offers marketers insights into how consumer expectations are shifting. From the cost-of-living crisis or the rise of the influencer economy, it’s clear that what audiences want from the Met and brands alike are changing.

From double scoop to ice cream Sunday with extra sprinkles

People want drama. In the age of edging (Gen Z speak for teasing or taunting, commonly used among musical fandoms when artists tease a song live but don’t play it) it’s clear audiences are shifting towards an all or nothing approach.

The increased use of the phrase “it’s giving” is a clear example of this. If we unpack what it actually means to ‘give’, then there is theoretically an expectation of receiving something as a result of the exchange. In this context, for a look ‘to give’, the consumer is expecting to feel something as a result – good or bad.

Audiences are turning to events such as the Met Gala to judge, and if the looks are straight up boring or ‘done’ (see: commentary on JLo or Em Rata) then there is a clear air of disappointment.

People use luxury content as a form of escapism – so for the love of God, give us what we want and don’t half ass it.

From ‘I’m hooked’ to ‘who am I watching’?

No Beyonce. No Blake. No Billie.

Some of the most renowned Met celebrities chose not to attend in 2024, and consumers noticed. Be it personal choice or prior commitments, there was a collective sigh of disappointment across the live stream as the heads of some of the world’s largest fandoms didn’t appear from a black sprinter van.

Kim Kardashian alone isn’t enough. Despite a slew of the internet’s darlings attending – Barry Keoghan, Sabrina Carpenter, FKA Twigs – there was a sense of disappointment from the lack of celebrity super brands. 

At the end of the day, we know that market size is still the biggest driver of brand growth. It seems the Met and celebrities are not excluded from the theory. The bigger, the better.

From formal to familiar

While this isn’t specific to the Met, the 2024 event was demonstrative of the consumer demand for interviews and perspectives from (often untrained) media entertainment stars. From Emma Chamberlain’s iconic 2022 Met interview with Jack Harlow, to Amelia Dimoldenberg of ‘Chicken Shop Date’’s famed interviews across the GQ red carpets, the rise of influencers as journalists continues.

For the Met in 2024, TikTok worked with influencers such as @tefi and @guywithamoviecamera to ask the hard-hitting questions such as which movie character Jeff Goldblum would like to invite to the Met (Petra from The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant, of course!).

While generic questions like “What are you looking forward to tonight?” persist, the familiarity and casualness across interviews is hard to ignore.

The celebrities seem to enjoy and almost play to the relaxed nature of them, leaving the usually serious tone of televised red carpet coverage in the dust.

Consumers are looking to brands to take ownership of their tone. In interviews, they want people to ask the weird and wonderful questions that we’re all thinking. So the more approachable and colloquial we can make our comms, the better.

While the role of events like the Met Gala in promoting opulence and a class divide is rightly questionable, and potentially losing relevance, we can’t look past the way it teaches us what consumers want from brands.

The next time a video of a sit-at-home fashion critique pops up in your feed, pause and listen to what they have to say.

See also:
Kate O’Loughlin: Jojo Siwa’s rebrand proves marketers should commit to the bit
Kate O’Loughlin: Marketing lessons from the rise of run clubs
Kate O’Loughlin: The Carnival World Cruise: brand titanic… or life raft?

Top image: Kate O’Loughlin

QMS has won a tender with The Hills Shire Council, adding two new premium digital assets to its growing Sydney network.

The appointment is part of the digital outdoor company’s ongoing investment in the strategic expansion of its NSW portfolio, which includes the City of Sydney street furniture network.

The Hills Shire is one of the fastest-growing local council areas in NSW and is home to 200,000 people. Suburbs include Castle Hill, Kellyville, Dural, Rouse Hill, West Pennant Hills and Annangrove, plus the key business districts Norwest and Bella Vista.

The new QMS premium digital billboards, strategically positioned on key overbridge locations in Kellyville, will allow advertisers to reach and influence a growing, affluent, and highly desirable audience.

Sara Lappage, QMS chief operating officer, said: “We are proud to be working with The Hills Shire Council to continue the expansion of our digital footprint into this largely untapped part of Sydney.

“We remain focused on adding only the best digital locations to our growing NSW network. Both these state-of-the-art digital assets will give advertisers a new way to reach highly sought after and growing audiences in an area that has limited digital large format opportunities.”

Expanding the coverage and reach of its network is one of QMS’ key strategic priorities for 2024 with two-thirds of its development plans focused on the Sydney market.

The Hills Shire Council agreement comes after QMS signed a new agreement with the Australian Turf Club to manage key assets at Sydney’s iconic Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, in an expansion of its existing NSW network, last month.

The agreement takes effect on 3 June 2024, and covers six locations along James Ruse Drive, including two double-sided monopoles and a double-sided overbridge.

Located between Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park, QMS said the new digital Rosehill Garden locations provide advertisers with access to the western Sydney growth corridor that reaches young mid-to-high income households.

See also: QMS expands Sydney network with Australian Turf Club deal

DoubleVerify has promoted Imran Masood to vice president, country manager AUNZ after four years as country manager of the region.

His promotion reflects the growth and continued expansion of DoubleVerify’s footprint in Australia and New Zealand under his leadership. 

Masood’s promotion comes amid a raft of strategic leadership appointments in the APAC region and the digital media measurement, data and analytics platform’s launch into two new markets – Hong Kong and Thailand.

Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify, said: “The digital advertising landscape in APAC is dynamic and growing. The unique needs of our customers in the APAC region require a leadership team with significant market insight and expertise. This new team will drive enduring growth in APAC and will help us advance our mission of making the internet stronger, safer, and more secure.”

Conrad Tallariti, previously regional vice president of sales, will assume the role of managing director for Asia Pacific. With nearly two decades of experience in programmatic sales and marketing, he will spearhead operations across the APAC region, driving growth and business momentum. Tallariti has worked with some of the world’s leading businesses, having held leadership roles in the APAC and EMEA regions,

Following DoubleVerify’s acquisition of Scibids AI, a global leader in dynamic AI activation, Rahul Vasudev will be stepping into the role of regional vice president for APAC, with a focus on Scibids go-to-market. Vasudev, who has been overseeing commercial efforts for Scibids in APAC, will continue to leverage his expertise to expand the influence of AI-powered ad technology across the region.

Marty Buragay joins as global director, global client and agency partnerships, APAC, to enhance the platform’s work with global brands across the region. Bringing over a decade of specialised experience in solutions strategy and management, Buragaya’s previous organisations include Uber, Meta, and Diageo.

As sales director for Thailand, Jantra Khonrangde (Joy) will accelerate momentum and strengthen the platform’s in-market presence. A seasoned digital marketing strategist who contributed to the growth of companies like Innity, Khonrangde will accelerate DoubleVerify’s expansion in Thailand,  leveraging her strong capabilities to develop lasting partnerships.

Junny Yiu, as senior business director, North Asia, will be responsible for expanding and solidifying DV’s business in key North Asia Markets, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. In a digital advertising career spanning over a decade, Yiu has developed proficiency in a diverse range of digital advertising verticals, from Search Engine Marketing to Programmatic Advertising. She previously drove SSP adoption at Hivestack and also counts Verizon and Yahoo as earlier associations.

–

Top image: Imran Masood

Seven West Media has named Alessandro Rosini as the third recipient of the annual David Leckie Seven Scholarship Program.

A recent graduate of Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in media and communications (majoring in journalism), Rosini joins Seven West Media on Monday and will initially work in the Sydney digital division.

He follows in the footsteps of previous scholarship recipients Madeline McKeown and Nuwan Ranasinghe.

The David Leckie Seven Scholarship Program was set up in late 2021 to honour the career and legacy of the late David Leckie, former Seven West Media chief executive officer.

The program offers a 12-month role at Seven West Media for a graduate with a passion for sales, programming or news. It was set up in partnership with Skye Leckie and David’s sons, Harry and Ben.

The selection process is overseen each year by Skye, Harry, and Ben Leckie, and senior Seven West Media executives.

Skye, Harry, and Ben Leckie said: “We are greatly honoured that Kerry Stokes and Seven provide this wonderful program for a young person.

“Alessandro is an outstanding individual and we are so thrilled for him to have this extraordinary opportunity. It’s a chance for him to be able to fulfil his dream and be immersed in the ever-changing media world.

“David had many loves during his years in media, but TV was his #1. We are thrilled that his legacy can continue and allow others to have the experience of working in TV. Thank you to Jeff [Howard] and the team at Seven for yet again finding such impressive candidates for this great scholarship program.”

Seven West Media managing director and chief executive officer, Jeff Howard, said: “Alessandro was an outstanding candidate and is a really deserving recipient of this year’s scholarship. He is passionate about the media business, highly motivated and very keen to learn.

“David was a legendary leader at Seven and in the media industry, and his legacy lives on in the many people in our business he mentored, the content and strategies he championed, and the passion for media he instilled in everyone he met. It also lives on in this scholarship program, which is both a tribute to David and a great way for Seven to support and develop new recruits.”

See Also: Anthony de Ceglie’s ‘dream’ is a ‘unified’ Seven and new audiences

Taboola has revealed Taboola Select, a new offering created exclusively for large advertisers that provides access to a curated selection of its premium editorial partnerships.

For the first time, Taboola is offering advertisers a way to leverage a curated subset of 15 per cent of its most premium publishers to drive performance campaigns. 

Taboola Select will offer advertisers a way to connect with millions of daily active users on premium destinations including Yahoo, Business Insider, The Associated Press, and 7NEWS, in inventory that is highly visible, brand-safe, and surrounded solely by trusted editorial content.

Taboola Select allows advertisers to tap into standalone placements on nearly every part of publisher sites, including homepages, mid-article sections, and a new position called Featured Placements.

Taboola states that brands that choose Taboola Select can harness the power of CPC buying and leverage its advanced AI, including its Maximize Conversions bidding technology, which consistently reduces CPAs by 15% on average. 

Adam Singolda, CEO at Taboola said: “Taboola is giving advertisers the inventory they need, on the most trusted publishers in the world, to reach consumers.

“Reliable and effective performance advertising has always been crucial, as these types of campaigns continue to help brands stay resilient and drive results regardless of industry headwinds.

“Taboola Select is one of the industry’s most unique packages for large advertisers to tap into, to run performance campaigns to reach consumers at scale. We’re combining brand-safe environments via our direct relationships with the world’s most premium publishers, with prominent ad placements that brands simply can’t get anywhere else.”

Taboola’s Maximize Conversions empowers its advertisers to specify a budget and have Taboola’s algorithm automate the CPC bid to drive as many conversions as possible while staying within budget.

The platform claims the AI advertising-focused bidding technology has seen almost double growth since launching at the end of 2023.

Maximize Conversions has been adopted by 50% of Taboola advertisers, including Hyundai, ERGO, Leica Camera, Sonova, Peugeot Turkey, and Opel Turkey, with some advertisers claiming to see a 110% increase in conversions, according to the platform.

See Also: Taboola’s Maximize Conversions empowers advertisers to “take the guesswork out of CPC bidding”

• This weekend, the Australian box office made $8,950,104, up +28% from last week’s $7,019,236.

TOP 5

1. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – $3,782,428 (debut)

Disney’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the brand new entry in the Apes franchise. While set 300 years after the reboot trilogy and featuring an entirely new cast of characters, the film is set in the same universe and references old characters from the trilogy. Similar to The Fall Guy, some filming took place at Disney Studios in Sydney and also in the Illawarra. Coming in first place this week, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes took $3,782,428 in its first week, averaging $6,521 over 580 screens.

Synopsis: Under the direction of Wes Ball, the global franchise breathes new life into a future era post-Caesar, where apes reign in harmony while humans exist in the shadows.

2. The Fall Guy – $1,725,634 (1)

Universal’s The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, is the latest film from Bullet Train director David Leitch. It was mostly shot in Sydney at Disney Studios, located near Centennial Park and even shut down the Sydney Harbour Bridge to film an adrenaline-pumping chase scene. Dropping to second place this week, The Fall Guy took $1,725,634 in its third week, averaging $4,168 over 414 screens.

Synopsis: After leaving the business one year earlier, stuntman Colt Seavers springs back into action when the star of a big studio movie suddenly disappears. 

3. IF – $709,640 (preview debut)

Actor and Director John Krasinski is taking off his horror (A Quiet Place) directing cap and putting on his family/comedic directing cap with Paramount’s IF. The film took $709,640 in its preview week, averaging $2,816 over 252 screens.

Synopsis: After discovering she can see everyone’s imaginary friends, a girl embarks on an adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids.

4. Challengers – $528,165 (2)

As Zendaya’s Dune: Part Two exits the top five, she’s straight back into it with her new film, Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino, staying in the top five this week. Similar to Dune, Challengers was supposed to be released in the back half of 2023 but was delayed to 2024 because of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. The film took $528,165 in its fourth week, averaging $2,174 over 243 screens.

Synopsis:Tashi, once a tennis player herself, has taken her husband, Art, and transformed him from an average player to a globally renowned Grand Slam champion.

5. Kung Fu Panda 4 – $441,408 (3)

Jack Black returns to voice Po, the Dragon Warrior in Universal’s fourth outing of martial arts madness. The film has already made $132.9 million domestically in the US. Kung Fu Panda 4 took $441.408 in its seventh week, averaging $1,599 over 276 screens.

Synopsis: Po goes on a thrilling journey as he dives into the wonders of ancient China. His passion for martial arts and insatiable appetite collide in the most unexpected ways.

Top 6 – 10

6. Shinda Shinda No Papa
7. Tarot
8. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
9. Wicked Little Letters
10. Golda

TV Report 13 May 2024:

Nine TV Report

The Summit

Nine’s evening began with the second episode of The Summit.

In the quest to reach the summit in 15 days, the 13 hikers are struggling. A medical emergency shocked everyone while a terrifying rope crossing blocked their path. Theo was removed from the competition on doctor’s orders as he needed to receive a proper assessment for a suspected kidney stone. The group also voted out Ros. 

A Current Affair

Over on A Current Affair, the program met with buyers demanding answers as land sat empty for years and there are claims cannabis suppliers are paying doctors to prescribe their products. 

Seven TV Report

Farmer Wants a Wife

On Seven, Farmer Wants a Wife saw the ladies tasked with impressing the Farmers’ closest relatives as they have the responsibility of picking who will go on the final date with each Farmer, a full 24 hours alone. 

Home and Away

Before FWAW was Home and Away as Mali started to feel overworked and under pressure and Mackenzie and Levi are shunned.

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 looked into how a NSW emergency landing unfolded and ‘The Portal’ uniting Dublin & New York. The team also chatted with Bernard Fanning & Paul Dempsey. 

MasterChef Australia

On 10’s MasterChef Australia, a French-themed Mystery Box in Bendigo challenges the contestants to create ‘magnifique’ dishes.

ABC

7:30

On 7:30, the program looked into what to expect in this week’s budget, the UK government’s controversial asylum seeker policy plus Melbourne gets a new ferris wheel.

Australian Story

Australian Story featured Josh Niland, Australia’s chef with his revolutionary approach to fish. The program looked into the genesis of his wild experimentation: a life and death battle in childhood and the fear of failure as a young restauranter.

SBS

Tony Robinson’s Marvellous Machines

Tony Robinson leaps into the future to explore artificial intelligence. From a humanoid robot that answers back, to the little workhorses that make next-day delivery possible. 

Sunday 12 May 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s The Summit recorded a total TV national reach of 1,562,000, a total TV national audience of 583,000, and a BVOD audience of 47,000.

Nine’s NRL – Titans v Cowboys recorded a total TV national reach of 1,156,000, a total TV national audience of 449,000, and a BVOD audience of 30,000.

Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife recorded a total TV national reach of 2,159,000, a total TV national audience of 1,092,000, and a BVOD audience of 105,000.

Also on Seven, 7NEWS Spotlight recorded a total TV national reach of 1,329,000, a total TV national audience of 547,000, and a BVOD audience of 32,000.

10’s airing of MasterChef Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 1,313,000, a total TV national audience of 709,000, and a BVOD audience of 47,000.

SBS’ airing of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest Final recorded a total TV national reach of 927,000, a total TV national audience of 226,000, and a BVOD audience of 9,000.

See Also: TV Report 12 May 2024: Jai Courtney raised the stakes during The Summit premiere

People 25-54

Nine’s The Summit:
• Total TV nation reach: 577,000
• National Audience: 259,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Nine’s NRL – Titans v Cowboys:
• Total TV nation reach: 379,000
• National Audience: 147,000
• BVOD Audience: 18,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 471,000
• National Audience: 271,000 
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife:
• Total TV nation reach: 625,000
• National Audience: 304,000
• BVOD Audience: 56,000

Seven’s 7NEWS Spotlight:
• Total TV nation reach: 388,000
• National Audience: 161,000
• BVOD Audience: 18,000

People 16-39

Nine’s The Summit:
• Total TV nation reach: 203,000
• National Audience: 87,000
• BVOD Audience: 13,000

Nine’s NRL – Titans v Cowboys:
• Total TV nation reach: 160,000
• National Audience: 67,000
• BVOD Audience: 11,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 182,000
• National Audience: 115,000 
• BVOD Audience: 16,000

Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife:
• Total TV nation reach: 258,000
• National Audience: 134,000
• BVOD Audience: 30,000

Seven’s 7NEWS Spotlight:
• Total TV nation reach: 129,000
• National Audience: 46,000
• BVOD Audience: 9,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+

Nine’s The Summit:
• Total TV nation reach: 1.170,000
• National Audience: 432,000
• BVOD Audience: 38,000

Nine’s NRL – Titans v Cowboys:
• Total TV nation reach: 862,000
• National Audience: 341,000
• BVOD Audience: 23,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 997,000
• National Audience: 554,000 
• BVOD Audience: 38,000

Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,669,000
• National Audience: 859,000
• BVOD Audience: 84,000

Seven’s 7NEWS Spotlight:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,061,000
• National Audience: 438,000
• BVOD Audience: 26,000

Data © OzTAM and Regional TAM 2024. Not to be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without prior written consent of OzTAM and Regional TAM.