TLDR
Nine broadcasts its third Melbourne Cup today with last year's numbers to beat: a 2.3 million national Total TV reach for the race, 9Now viewing up 25% and record wagering. Gravity Media's host broadcast uses 48 cameras, a jockey's-eye camera and a new slow-motion rig. Nine's Derby Day coverage on Saturday averaged 247,000.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The numbers to beat
Nine broadcasts its third Melbourne Cup today, in the third year of its partnership with the Victoria Racing Club.[2] Last year's Cup set a high bar. The Lexus Melbourne Cup reached 2.3 million Australians on national Total TV, up 9%, and the total audience passed 2 million for the first time since 2018. Across the four days of the carnival, 5.5 million Australians watched on the Nine Network, and 9Now viewing rose 25% to 463,000.[1]
The money followed. Turnover on the Cup itself reached a record $247.4 million, up 16.4%, and Cup Day meeting turnover a record $382.5 million. The 2025 carnival drew 286,746 people to Flemington, the biggest crowd since 2018, and 53% of general admission tickets were bought by people under 35. Video from the carnival drew more than 36 million views across Meta and TikTok.[1]
"The success of the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival has emphatically demonstrated that racing is back and thriving," VRC chief executive Kylie Rogers said at the time.[1]
How the broadcast is built
Gravity Media is producing the host broadcast at Flemington for the 25th year, and its third for Nine. The feed uses 48 cameras and two outside broadcast trucks, including JockeyCam, a stabilised camera that shows the race from the jockey's position, and Orbit Fusion, a wireless high-frame-rate camera for super slow motion from spots on the track previously considered impractical or unsafe. It produces more than 30 hours of live coverage over the four race days, shown in Australia on Channel 9, 9Now, Sky Racing, Racing.com and vrc.com.au, and in more than 220 territories overseas.[3]
Eddie McGuire hosts Nine's coverage from its central studio, with Matthew Hill calling the 166th Lexus Melbourne Cup. "The Melbourne Cup Carnival remains an iconic pillar of the Australian sports calendar," said Brent Williams, Nine's director of sport.[2]
The early read
Derby Day gave a first look at this year's audience. Nine's main Derby Day coverage on Saturday averaged 247,000 viewers nationally with a reach of 871,000, according to OzTAM overnight figures, while Seven's Rugby League World Cup night averaged 967,000.[4]
The VRC's media deals now reach beyond Nine: News Corp has extended its partnership with the club year-round.
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James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.
