Nine has taken free-to-air broadcast rights for the Melbourne Cup, previously held, and dropped, by rival Ten.
The win is a part of a broadcast, media and sponsorship deal between the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), Tabcorp and Nine Entertainment (Nine) from 2024 to 2029.
The Melbourne Cup Carnival will be broadcast on all SKY platforms and the TAB app, with Tabcorp having the right to on-sell the coverage to wagering providers.
Nine will be the free-to-air partner of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including audio-visual rights for broadcast, streaming, mobile, digital and social platforms.
Network 10 last year dropped out of bidding to continue broadcasting the Melbourne Cup Carnival after 2023.
Nine CEO Mike Sneesby said the Melbourne Cup is an iconic Australian sporting event and has been part of the nation’s cultural fabric for more than 160 years.
"It has a rich heritage, synonymous with legendary sporting names such as Phar Lap and Makybe Diva, and Nine is honoured to be able to broadcast this world-renowned event across our platforms from 2024," he says.
The new rights package means that Nine will be the broadcast home of Penfolds Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, VRC Oaks Day and TAB Champions Stakes Day. All four days of the Carnival will be broadcast on Channel 9 and streamed on 9Now.
The 2023 Melbourne Cup on 10 saw 1.68 million Australians watch Mark Zahra ride Without A Fight to victory. The total national race audience was up 12% compared to 2022 (1.5 million national viewers).
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