Race To The Melbourne Cup Carnival
Friday 24 October 10:40 PM 1 hour
The countdown is on to the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Our experts preview the Cox Plate and look ahead to an incredible week at Flemington.
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To come in 2025
2025 MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL
9Network is the official broadcaster of the iconic Melbourne Cup Carnival, delivering four thrilling days of world-class racing action, fashion, and entertainment. With an all-star hosting line-up, Eddie McGuire will lead the coverage from the on-course studio, joined by James Bracey hosting from the Mounting Yard and Francesca Cumani offering expert racing analysis. Form analyst David Gately will provide key insights, while Billy Slater, on horseback, will interview winning jockeys after each race, and Tony Jones will conduct exclusive interviews with prominent racing identities.
Clint Stanaway , Sylvia Jeffreys and Jelena Dokic, will capture the excitement from the Birdcage, including the glamour of Fashions on the Field.
Viewers can enjoy enhanced content on 9Now, including race replays, ensuring they don’t miss a moment. Coverage kicks off with Howden Victoria Derby Day on November 1 and concludes with VRC Champions Stakes Day on November 8.
GOLF
Wide World of Sports is the only place to be for live and free action of the two big weeks of the Australian summer of golf, featuring Masters champion Rory McIlroy taking on Aussies Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee back on home soil.
First up from November 27 is the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland where proud Queenslander Smith is back in his home state alongside the defending champion, Elvis Smylie, and fellow Queenslander Adam Scott, playing for a record $2.5m AUD.
Then it’s on to the national championship, with the men’s Australian Open in Melbourne from December 4 on the famous Melbourne Sandbelt at The Royal Melbourne Golf, featuring World No.2 Rory McIlroy.
That isn’t all for golf on the 9Network and 9Now, with two women’s major golf events set to be aired on Free To Air Television when the world’s best tee it up for the standalone women’s Australian Open and Australian WPGA Championship in March.
SWIMMING - AUSTRALIA VS THE WORLD
Australia’s internationally acclaimed swimming team is back when Australia takes on The World in a one-day shortcourse event on December 12 in Brisbane.
The Dolphins will feature superstar Olympians including; Cam McEvoy, Mollie O’Callaghan, Kyle Chalmers, Meg Harris, Elijah Winnington, Lani Pallister, Matthew Temple, Moesha Johnson, Alexandria Perkins and Joshua Young.
SYDNEY HOBART
The 9Network is the exclusive home of the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. For the last 79 years, the iconic and thrilling race has set sail from Sydney Harbour.
Renowned for its fierce competition and breathtaking scenes of Australia’s coastline, the Sydney Hobart is a staple of the Australian summer and a Boxing Day tradition.
Viewers around the country will be able to enjoy live coverage, capturing the excitement, triumphs and challenges of this legendary race.
WNBL
The 9Network jumps onto the court for women’s basketball this year when the WNBL 2025-26 season tips off on 9GO! and 9Now in November. 9GO! will air a weekly game across the home and away season with 9Now streaming every match live and free.
Our Aussie Opals of tomorrow and WNBA stars will be on display right here on our doorstep as the WNBL is free to watch any time and on any device they choose.
2026
WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Nine today announced it has secured the exclusive, multi-platform broadcast rights for the World Athletics Championships in a four-year deal commencing in 2026. This partnership makes Nine the undisputed home of the world’s most prestigious track and field events for Australian audiences.
Following a sensational World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, which captivated the nation, Nine will be the only place to witness Australia’s best take on the world, live and free on the 9Network.
The deal comes after Australian track and field stars delivered one of the country’s most successful events at the recent 2025 World Athletics Championships. The nation celebrated as Nicola Olyslagers soared to a spectacular gold in the women’s high jump. The team’s success was strengthened by bronze medalists Kurtis Marschall (men’s pole vault), Jessica Hull (women’s 1500m), and Mackenzie Little (women’s javelin throw).
Beyond the medal haul, Australia was fascinated by a new generation of stars. 17-year-old sprinting sensation Gout Gout announced his arrival on the world stage with a stunning semi-final appearance, while athletes like Reece Holder, Torrie Lewis, and Claudia Hollingsworth delivered breakthrough performances that have set the stage for a golden era of Australian athletics.
Brent Williams, Nine’s Director of Sport, said : “We were all captivated by the incredible performances of the Australian team in Tokyo, and we are thrilled to become the exclusive home of the World Athletics Championships. This partnership will see Nine broadcast the next generation of track and field superstars, telling their stories and showcasing their amazing talents. This multi-year deal cements Nine’s commitment to delivering world-class, free-to-air sports coverage for all Australians.”
The exclusive partnership with World Athletics further positions Nine as the home of major international sporting events, complementing its rights to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The schedule of major events includes:
- 2026: World Athletics Indoor Championships - Kujawy Pomorze, Poland
- 2027: World Athletics Championships - Beijing, China
- 2028: World Athletics Indoor Championships - Host TBC
- 2029: World Athletics Championships - Host TBC
The World Athletics Championships will be live and free on the 9Network from 2026.
FOOTBALL
The kings of club football in Europe will be crowned when the Finals of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League are broadcast live and free on the 9Network.
With the giants of world football Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain all in the mix, you won’t want to miss seeing who comes out on top in 2026.
Stan Sport is the only place to watch every match of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League live and on demand.
Fans can also enjoy even more football on Stan Sport, with its growing lineup now including world class men and women’s action from the Premier League, Emirates FA Cup, Barclay’s Women’s Super League, J League, K League, NWSL and more.
SWIMMING
Nine will make a splash with the Dolphins in 2026 when Australia’s best swimmers are on show across multiple major events. Diving in first for the Age and Open Championships, April 10-24 on 9Now, the pace gets hotter in the Australian Swimming Trials, June 9-14 before the Dolphins take on our biggest rivals, the United States of America, in their home pool, when the Pan Pacific Championships take place August 12-15 in California.
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Not surprised to see the Athletics Championships join Nine exclusively (after sharing it with SBS recently). It’s ratings were pretty good, so they are capitalising on it.
Football (aka soccer) is back with the various tournaments - but are all back on Stan Sports.
Speaking of soccer - I assume that the current English Premier League (the EPL) season - that there is no return of games returning to Nine? After having the first 3 Saturday night games shown on Nine before moving to Stan? It was a ratings winner for the timeslot? But am aware that the daylight savings here and abroad, that times may not be as suited for a Nine airing?
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Always a 7am timeslot on Saturday and Tuesday (with arguably better games on paper) that could have been carried on Gem.
But that’s only my argument, and there will be no further live games on Nine for the rest of the deal. 9Go! will still happily carry one encore each week though.
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With Brisbane 2032 less than seven years away, I think Nine will continue to try to get the rights to as many world championships in major Olympic sports as possible (including rowing, track cycling and road cycling) while retaining World Athletics Championships and FINA World Championship in Aquatics.
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Nine and the National Hockey League (NHL) today announced a landmark media partnership that will bring the world’s premier professional ice hockey league to Australian audiences free-to-air.
Starting Saturday, 18 October 2025, 9GO! will broadcast a live NHL game every Saturday morning throughout the 2025/26 regular season. The partnership will deliver 21 regular-season games, giving Australian sports fans unprecedented access to the fast-paced, high-stakes action of the NHL. The action begins at 10:00am AEDT on 9GO! and 9Now with a thrilling match-up between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Detroit Red Wings.
In a unique collaboration, Nine and the NHL have developed a bespoke broadcast feed specifically for the Australian market. Produced by NHL Productions in its state-of-the-art studio in New York City, the feed will provide viewers with a tailored experience, featuring:
● Dedicated commentators providing play-by-play commentary and analysis tailored for the Australian audience.
● Customised intermission coverage with in-depth analysis, player profiles and explainers on the rules of the game to engage both new and existing fans.
The 2025/26 NHL season is particularly significant as the League will pause from February 6 - 24 as the world’s top NHL players compete in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Nine’s commentary team will highlight this exciting storyline, connecting fans with the players who will be representing their countries on the world stage and building anticipation for Nine’s exclusive coverage of the Olympic Winter Olympics.
Brent Williams, Nine’s Director of Sport, said: “We are incredibly excited to partner with the NHL to bring the fastest game on ice to Australian homes, free-to-air. This isn’t just a broadcast - it’s a tailored viewing experience. By creating a dedicated feed with local commentary and specialised content, we are committed to growing the sport in Australia and giving fans the best possible coverage. The link to the Winter Olympics provides a fantastic narrative that will build excitement for what is a huge event on the Nine calendar.”
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Daniel Kim, NHL Executive Vice President, Media & International Strategy, said: “We are thrilled Nine shares our commitment to delivering live games to more fans across Australia. “The overwhelming success of the NHL Global Series Melbourne coupled with the growing enthusiasm for our grassroots, learn-to-play hockey initiatives and increasing social media engagement across our dedicated channels underscore the impact of our investment in Australia.”
In 2023, the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes faced off in the NHL Global Series-Melbourne, the first-ever NHL games in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring a pair of sold-out preseason games. The week-long celebration also included three days of the NHL Global Fan Tour, the League’s traveling fan festival, and coaching, officiating and youth hockey clinics.
St. Louis Blues forward Nathan Walker is the first Australian to play in the League. He is currently in his eighth NHL season.
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Normally what (especially European) broadcasters do is just retransmitting the NHL Network feed for international broadcasting.
It will not be the case with Nine as the first matchup is a local one.
How far will they be going to customize, graphics-wise? We’ll see.
According to this:
As part of the deal, the NHL will produce a broadcast feed tailored to the Australian audience from its studio in N.Y., marking the first time it will do so for an individual country. The telecast will feature customized intermission coverage with in-depth analysis, player profiles and explainers on the rules of the game to engage new and existing fans. NHL Network broadcaster Keith Irizarry will provide play-by-play with a rotating cast of analysts.
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First 4 Australia Games of the Week (as they call it) have been announced.
Oct 18 - Red Wings vs. Lightning
Oct 25 - Devils vs. Sharks
Nov 1 - Capitals vs. Islanders
Nov 8 - Red Wings vs. Rangers
Starting time 10am AEDT (last game 11am due to DST in effect in America).
No details. Probably just the home team feed.
The only differences are commentary, and during intermission, not pretending as though everyone watching understands how the sport is played.
Which usually means not bringing out advanced stats.
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NHL Game 1 - note that coverage is only live in AEDT areas.
Problems with link at the start - going to black, audio cutting out for a few seconds.
Nine cuts to commercials mid sentence. Back from break to a black screen.
Play starts with vision freezing.
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That is awful.
And we apparently started on the wrong note as the summary showed.
I look forward to WNBL being treated the same way later in the day. (Not the transmission part.)
What, delayed coverage? It is being shown live in WA.
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To add to your point, it is apparently live across the country on 9Go.
Which makes the decision to delay the NHL even more bizarre.
At least only Perth will be impacted next week.
Graphics look bespoke, which is… more considerable effort than what global broadcasters do. Kudos to Nine.
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The feed seems to be dropping out intermittently.
The commentary seems very drab and unenthusiastic.
Just spotted for the second time AFAIK.
There has been way too many dropouts and mid-sentence ad break cuts that even though it’s free, I still want a refund.
The coverage seems to be still finding its feet. There has been some technical issues, 9 going to ad break while the commentators were still talking during the pre-game segment and also at the end of first period show
also because they are not calling from the actual arena, it seems to be lacking atmosphere and also maybe some enthusiasm
Not sure if anyone is still watching, the technical issues continue, the most annoying being the multiple black screens - one or two every minute of the coverage that seem , if anything, to be increasing. The abrupt ad breaks that interrupt play as well.
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Why on earth are Nine persevering with this? If this was an Australian event, they would have dumped out of it by now.
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Currently in New York, mostly clear skies, light wind, humidity slightly below 50%, 14 degrees Celsius.
I say that because it does not make any sense why coverage is being dropped out this frequently. That certainly isn’t a factor to excuse.
To put it bluntly, it’s squarely Nine’s fault the way commentators haven’t acknowledged the transmission issues.
Probably it is all good in NY’s end.
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It’s unwatchable. Why don’t they switch to a dirty feed?
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