As the 2025 Telstra NRL Premiership season kicks off in Las Vegas this weekend, Nine has secured a solid number of brand partnerships across its integrated rugby league content ecosystem – spanning Total TV, Total Audio, and Total Publishing.
Broadcasting over 145 live games on the 9Network, including marquee events like the exclusive men’s and women’s State of Origin, the blockbuster men’s Finals series, and an expanded NRLW schedule from 48 to 74 games, Nine is offering advertisers access to a vast, diverse audience at scale.
Beyond live coverage, Nine’s NRL platform is promising to deliver round-the-clock content and, what it claims will be ‘engaging conversations’. New offerings include the linear magazine show “Freddy & The Eighth,” which will sit alongside the iconic Wide World of Sports, podcasts, 9Now specials, and Nine Radio’s WWOS Continuous Call Team.
Solid footing
Last year, Nine’s full NRL coverage delivered a Total TV audience of 16.7 million, with the Men’s State of Origin Series drawing 9.4 million viewers – a 17% year-on-year increase. The Women’s State of Origin Series also saw impressive growth, reaching 4.3 million viewers, up 72% YoY as the series expanded from two to three games.
This year, new sponsorship additions Ford and Red Bull will join established partners such as Harvey Norman, Telstra, McDonald’s, Westpac, Sportsbet, Youi Insurance, Kia, and returning sponsors Chemist Warehouse, Isuzu UTE, and Rexona – further cementing Nine’s position as a leading destination for premium sports advertising.
‘Sport mega platform’
Nine’s director of sales – sport, Olympic and Paralympic games, Matt Granger, said: “Over the last five years, WWOS has continued to evolve its unrivalled sport mega marketing platform, with a clear focus on delivering the best-in-class sporting assets and solutions for brands.
“This year’s new, growing and returning partners across our rugby league assets are again testament to that. The role sport content plays in Australians’ lives continues to evolve and grow. At Nine, we are leading the connection of fans and brands in a way no other media company can,” said Granger.
Nine’s director of sales – sport, Olympic and Paralympic games, Matt Granger
Meanwhile, director of content partnerships – sport, Olympic and Paralympic games, Anne Gruber, said: “We have evolved our NRL proposition, driving focus on the success and effectiveness of our cross-platform ecosystem partnerships. In 2025, there will be more league content and more opportunities to contextually connect with audiences from February through to November’s Pacific Championships.
“Brands can leverage the ‘always on’ conversation seven days a week, 24/7 through Broadcast TV and 9Now magazine shows, match day broadcasts, Nine Radio’s Continuous Call team, live blogs, WWOS.com articles and NRL on Nine social content. In essence, it’s a 10 month marketing campaign across every touchpoint of Nine’s suite of assets,” she said.
When to watch
The 9Network’s NRL season kicks off this Sunday 2 March with two games from Las Vegas, with an international between the Australian Jillaroos v England Women, and the NRL Premiership clash between Cronulla Sharks v Penrith Panthers.