Nine has secured a seven-year broadcast partnership with Athletics Australia at the dawn of a golden era of athletics Down Under.
The agreement will make Nine the home of Australian athletics from 2027 to at least the end 2033, taking the sport beyond the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and into one of the most significant periods in Australian sporting history.
Nine will cover athletics events from the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne, to the Australian Athletics Championships and the Olympic and Paralympic selection events on the road to Brisbane 2032.
It will also mean that the voice of athletics, Seven’s iconic broadcaster Bruce McAvaney, will no longer call Australia’s medal winning moments.
Australian athletes have had a golden year on the world stage, with superstars including Olympic silver medalist Jessica Hull, rising middle distance runner Cameron Myers; established star pole vaulters and Olympic champion Nina Kennedy and Kurtis Marschall; and high jump rivals and world leaders Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson.
Perhaps the most notable rising stars are the Aussie sprint trio Gout Gout, Torrie Lewis and Lachlan Kennedy; the latter recently clocked a 9.85 second 00m sprint at the Commonwealth Games, making him the fastest Aussie in history.
Nine said that the partnership , which aligns neatly with its Olympic and Paralympic broadcast deals, extends well beyond event coverage.
It will use its unparalleled reach and ‘Sofa to Street’ proposition to deepen fandom and tell the stories of Australian athletics and its athletes across Nine’s streaming, publishing and digital assets.
The partnership will also include a dedicated preview show ahead of each Australian Athletics Championships and a feature-length documentary in the 2028 and 2032Olympic years.
The agreement follows a competitive market process undertaken by Australian Athletics, with a clear ambition to secure more than a broadcaster.
“This is a landmark day for athletics in Australia,” Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth said. “Our athletes are among the best in the world, and this partnership gives more Australians the opportunity to see them compete, get to know them and follow their journeys.
“With the Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics 2032 on the horizon, we wanted a partner that shared our ambition for the sport and was prepared to invest in building athletics over the long term.
“Nine is not simply broadcasting our events, they are backing our athletes, telling their stories and helping us build a bigger audience for athletics across Australia.”
Nine director of sport Brent Williams said: “Australian Athletics is entering a golden era and we are thrilled to be on board such an epic ride through to Brisbane 2032 and beyond. Australia already boasts some of the most exciting athletes on the planet, with a great promise of more to come. We look forward to the journey, telling their stories and sharing their magical moments with all of Australia across the screens of Nine.”
Australian Athletics president Jane Flemming, a former Commonwealth Games heptathlon and long jump champion, said the partnership would create opportunities across every level of the sport.
“We know our sport is something everyone relates to, running, jumping, walking and rolling, and now the entire community will get to connect to it in an ongoing and live nature,” she said.
“From our athletes competing on the world stage to the kids discovering athletics for the first time on a Saturday morning, visibility matters.
“Seeing our athletes competing in Australian stadiums, live on national television, gives young Australians heroes to follow and something to aspire to.”
Australian Athletics events announced so far for the 2027 Chemist Warehouse Summer Series and Australian Athletics domestic season, will be shown live and free across the the 9Network and 9Now.
February 13: Adelaide International, SA Athletics Stadium
February 27: Maurie Plant Meet, Lakeside Stadium
March 6: Sydney Track Classic, Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Stadium
March 20: Hobart Track Classic, Domain Athletics Centre
April 1-4: Australian Athletics Championships, Sydney Olympic Stadium
