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1591

10’s Coverage Of The Lexus Melbourne Cup Race Is #1, Without A Fight.

The Lexus Melbourne Cup Race Was The #1 Watched Program On Tuesday, And Biggest Program On 10 and 10 Play In 2023.

1.68 million Australians stopped in their tracks as Mark Zahra rode Without A Fight to victory in the Lexus Melbourne Cup 2023. The total national race audience was up 12% compared to 2022 (1.5 million national viewers). The race was watched by 1.11 million metro viewers, up 8% compared to 2022 (1.02 million).

Live and free on 10 and 10 Play, the Lexus Melbourne Cup Race was TV’s #1 program on Tuesday and 10’s #1 program of 2023. The race dominated key advertising demos on broadcast, boasting an impressive commercial share of 71.2%, including 74.2% in under 50s, 73.8% in 25 to 54s and 75.5% in 16 to 39s.

10 Play saw record numbers flock to the BVOD platform, with the Lexus Melbourne Cup Race averaging 206,000 live stream viewers, up 35% on 2022. It was the biggest ever live stream for the Lexus Melbourne Cup Race and 10 Play’s biggest live stream audience ever.

Across the whole day, the Melbourne Cup Carnival reached 2.37 million Australians on 10 and 10 Play, nationally. The entire day had 851,000 live stream starts, up 9% on 2022 and 335,000 unique visitors, up 5% on 2022.

The Network 10 broadcast brought viewers all the exciting action on and off the track, hosted by Eddie McGuire, Michael Felgate, Melbourne Cup winning jockey and trainer Michelle Payne, and three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Glen Boss.

Network 10’s stellar stable of racing experts also included respected form guru David Gately, racing presenter Brittany Taylor, 10 News First reporter Caty Price and former jockey James Winks. Racing legend Damien Oliver in his last Melbourne Cup, and star international jockey Frankie Dettori, also joined the team throughout the day.

Covering all things fashion, colour and entertainment in The Birdcage and around the iconic Flemington Racecourse across Cup Day was Rob Mills, and 10 Sport’s Tara Rushton and Archie Thompson.

Adam Cush, Director of Sport Production said: “We’re extremely proud to have set new digital viewing records with our broadcast of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and are delighted with this year’s results.

“We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the Victoria Racing Club, but it’s not over yet. We still have two fantastic days of the 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival to come. Our racing production and on-air team will continue to bring you the very best of the Carnival with all the excitement from on track and the glamour and colour from around Flemington.”

2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival audience highlights:

Lexus Melbourne Cup - Race:

  • Averaged 1.68 million national viewers, up 12% on 2022.
  • 1.11 million metro viewers, up 8% on 2022.
  • 10’s biggest program of 2023.
  • #1 program of the day, #1 in under 50s, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s.
  • #1 in its timeslot, #1 in under 50s, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s.
  • 71.2% commercial share, 74.2% in under 50s, 73.8% in 25 to 54s and 75.5% in 16 to 39s.
  • Biggest Lexus Melbourne Cup Race live stream audience ever - 206,000 viewers, up 35% on 2022.
  • Biggest 10 Play live stream ever.

Lexus Melbourne Cup Day:

  • Reached 2.37 million viewers nationally.
  • #1 in its timeslot, #1 in under 50s, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s.

Lexus Melbourne Cup - Presentation:

  • Averaged 1.29 million national viewers, up 7% on 2022.
  • 877,000 metro viewers.
  • #2 program of the day, #2 in under 50s, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s.
  • #1 in its timeslot, #1 in under 50s, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s.
  • 67.9% commercial share, 76.3% in under 50s, 73.3% in 25 to 54s and 76% in 16 to 39s.
  • 120,000 live stream viewers on 10 Play, up 52% on 2022.

Lexus Melbourne Cup – Mounting Yard:

  • Averaged 1.09 million viewers nationally, up 2% on 2022.
  • 716,000 metro viewers.
  • #3 program of the day in 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s.
  • #1 in its timeslot, #1 in under 50s, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s.
  • 58.8% commercial share, 58.7% in under 50s, 61.2% in 25 to 54s and 58.7% in 16 to 39s.
  • 127,000 live stream viewers on 10 Play, up 51% on 2022.
4 Likes
1592

Maybe 10 may reconsider and reenter negotiations for the extension of the TV rights

1 Like
1593

I think that race has already been run and been won, according to reports and Eddie’s comments.

It’s clear from their statement 10 didn’t like the direction and control that was being put on the new broadcast rights and didn’t see value in the proposition anymore.

If it means they can pursue other opportunities with that yearly investment redirected into primetime, then I’m all for it.

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1594
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1595

Copy, paste edit the year and you run this article every year.

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1596

It’s also been 5 years, suggests to me it’s just casual viewers affected who have no idea what they’re doing or tuning into.

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1597

Not to mention 10 had the longest heritage with race from around 1975 through 2002 of successive rights. So it has a long association with the race. Most plebs won’t know or care unfortunately.

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1598

I think it’s a couple of things - Seven has racing most weekends of the year (and gives it a reasonable promo push for big events), but also its a reflection of how few people are watching Ten and are exposed to any promotion of the event.

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1599

Ratings were up on the previous year. It’s only taken 5 years for people to realise it’s shown on 10.

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1600

The other thing is Racing NSW is trying as hardest to turn its state into the heart of horse racing and taking some of the glamour and hype away from the Melbourne Cup is a part of that.

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1601

10’s coverage of TAB Champions Stakes Day finished at 6.05pm AEDT.

Eddie had a coarse voice today but he soldiered through. Understandable given he had a busy week, hosting 10’s Melbourne Cup carnival broadcast on Tuesday, Thursday and today, plus hosting the Ron Barassi state memorial yesterday.

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1602

Coverage finished late at 6:05pm.

Eddie farewelled the networks coverage.

10 sport now left with some cheap and nasty simulcast deals and and the low rating Football rights. It’s going to be a long time for them in the wilderness until they can again regain some sort of exclusive suite of sport.

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1603

Farewell from 10

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7 Likes
1604

Like him or loathe him, Eddie is a true champion of the Australian media.

I dare say, by the time he retires from the media (which I think is some years away yet), he may well be considered Australia’s GOAT across radio/TV.

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1605

He has presented NYE, Carols by Candlelight, Olympic Games, AFL and Melbourne Cup

Eddie will be on Nine next year of course

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1606

It was a pretty low-key farewell - surprised that the broadcast didn’t end with a look back on the past five years of 10’s coverage.

A distinction needs to be made between the A-Leagues (which is frankly more of a Paramount+ property rather than 10) and the Football Australia rights packages considering the Matildas & Socceroos games perform quite well.

Retaining the Football Australia is essential for 10 to still at least have a significant foothold in the sports landscape - especially considering it would result in them having the rights to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

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1607

Right there is where 10 aren’t in the game. If they were really want to cement themselves as the home of round ball football, they would have stumped up the money for the WC rights in Australia.

Instead they were too stubborn to go with Optus Sport, which then one has to question why they were happy to sign up to NBL as it’s joint with ESPN/fox (as it’s found on fox sports/Kayo). :man_shrugging:

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1608

10 missed out on the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup rights to longtime incumbent broadcaster SBS

1609

Not just 10, but I’m sure other broadcasters expressed interest. Optus Sport, likely 7 again after the recent WWC, likely Nine/Stan too.

Hard not to see how it didn’t go to SBS after 40 years of them being the broadcaster for the World Cup, they might have a first right of refusal for any negotiations or final offer.

Easy to say 10 didn’t stump up the money for it in negotiations, when nobody actually knows? :man_shrugging:t3:

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1610

Rights were cheap and production requirements minimal (if any)?

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