Nine has unveiled its commercial packages for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The broadcaster went to market with the first wave of commercial opportunities for advertisers at the official launch on Thursday.
Andrew Cann, director of sales, Olympics and Paralympics, at Nine, said the games are unique because they bring countries together.
“We all understand the work that’s gone into it. It’s a once-every-four-years opportunity,” he told AdNews.
“I feel like it’s the only event in the world where countries truly come together to support each other and celebrate sport and what it does for the world.”
Nine saw a significant boost in ad spend from its Summer Olympics broadcast last year, according to media agency booking numbers via SMI Guideline.
For the Winter Olympics, Cann said Nine will be selling four partner packages as well as sponsor packages.
“Being a partner means you have your solus brand in promos, billboards, and premium integration assets. That’s the premium level package,” he said.
“Sponsor is a level down from that and has a little bit less of a presence than a partner but is still prominent in the broadcast.
Advertisers will be able to leverage Nine’s scale and ability to engage Australians across a suite of TV, audio and publishing assets.
Commercial packages span cross-platform opportunities from sponsorships of daily segments and medal tallies to immersive activations and branded content.
Cann said there has already been a lot of interest from the market.
“What we did with Paris, and the results we achieved for our partners and sponsors, really showcased the power of the Olympic Games, and the power of Nine’s ability to bring the event to life,” he said.
“There is strong interest not only from the brands involved last time, but also from others who saw the impact of what we achieved with Paris and want to be part of the Olympic Games.”
Cann said the Winter Games isn’t as big as the Summer Games but Nine is confident that it will deliver for its brands.
“What we’re doing with not only our video platforms but also our automation platforms – and that’s a powerful element of the partner sponsor model – helps us target the right moments and ensure we deliver the audience we commit to upfront,” he said.
“We are very comfortable with our audience forecast and we are very comfortable with our ability to deliver sports and deliver for our brands.”
Cann said the athlete’s stories are an important part of Nine’s coverage of the Games.
“I think the difference between the Olympic and Paralympic Games and any other sport is the uniqueness of the athlete,” he said.
“They spend four years of their life and they don't have the big salaries of season long football players. They go through a lot of adversity and struggle, dedicating themselves to sports that aren’t necessarily well known in this country to compete for a medal.
“It’s really about their story and what they’ve had to do to get there, and if they win a medal it’s a bonus.”
Nine’s Olympic Winter Games coverage will run from February 6 to 22, followed by the Paralympic Winter Games coverage from March 6 to 15.
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