EXCLUSIVE: Despite a sluggish late ad market, media owners are attracting strong interest from advertisers with expectations of high ratings if the Wallabies enjoy a good run.
Official Australian media partners of the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) include Nine Network, which has free-to-air TV rights for the RWC.
Sam Brennean, Nine Melbourne sport sales manager, says the broadcaster has signed up three brands so far in Heineken, Brancott Estate and Swisse Vitamins, and is looking to confirm two more advertisers in the next two weeks. Brennean said Nine is expecting to have five or six brands supporting its RWC broadcasts in total.
Brennean admits that expectations of bumper viewing figures will generate depends hugely on the performance of the Wallabies. “A fair bit hinges on the way the Aussies play,” he said. “If Australia makes the final, if that happens, it will be enormous.”
He said the games will be shown live in Sydney and Brisbane, but the timing in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide will depend on which nations are playing in each game. Former Wallabies captains John Eales and George Gregan will be members of Nine’s broadcast team.
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