Nine to sell advertising for Max streaming service
Nine has been appointed by Warner Bros Discovery as the exclusive advertising sales partner for its Max streaming service, which launches in Australia on March 31.
Nine will act as the exclusive sales partner for Max’s ad-supported Basic With Ads tier, which will fold into Nine Sales’ digital video proposition to advertisers, along with 9Now and Stan Sport.
Max will form part of Nine’s premium revenue strategy, driven by its marketing services team Powered, while the network’s ‘Centre of Digital Excellence’ division will drive the sales strategy.
The White Lotus, coming soon to Max.
WBD’s GM Australia and New Zealand, Michael Brooks, said in a media release that partnering with Nine “allows us to tap into their deep experience, strong relationships and proven capabilities”.
Nine’s acting chief sales officer, Matt James, said the combination of Max’s “amazing content and world-leading advertising products” with Nine’s local understanding, sales infrastructure and scale is a “unique opportunity for clients in this country”.
He said: “This relationship with WBD will accelerate our strategy into the digital video market and offer clients better return on investment.”
Max will launch into a crowded Australian streaming market with a hefty catalogue featuring programming from HBO, Warner Bros, the DC Universe, Harry Potter, Discovery, and Cartoon Network.
Already promised at launch are The White Lotus, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, and Euphoria, plus perennials like Friends, Lord of the Rings, The Big Bang Theory, and Rick and Morty.
Aside from its deal with Nine, Warner Bros Discovery will launch with Foxtel as a partner. Foxtel’s 1.4 million residential subscribers will gain free access to Max, while the Max app will also be available on streaming aggregator Hubbl.
It’s not an ideal union; due to Max’s entry into the Australian market, Foxtel’s own streaming service, Binge, will lose all content from HBO, Discovery, and Max Originals, while this programming will also disappear from the linear TV stations currently available to residential subscribers.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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