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We’ll remember your choice for next time
Channel Nine has come out on top as the Australian Open and Big Bash League went head-to-head with finals for the first time in 2023.
Nine held two men’s semi-finals, with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic both prevailing in mostly one-sided clashes.
Meanwhile, the BBL|12 Eliminator – the tournament's first final – saw Brisbane Heat advance over the Sydney Thunder in a rain-affected clash where Australian opener Usman Khawaja put on a clinic.
In OzTAM data released by TV Blackbox, figures show 543,000 (five city metro aggregate) tuned into Nine for the first session of the Australian Open before that number dropped to 531,000 for the second on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Seven’s coverage of the BBL peaked at 294,000. A further 205,000 tuned in via Foxtel, meaning Nine had the Lion’s share of the Friday night sport.
Friday night’s coverage also represented a slight uptick on the women’s semi-finals for Nine after a peak of 526,000 tuned in the night before.
Nine had suffered a blow for ratings when a number of headline acts were ruled out prior to the tournament. However, as SEN's Matt White recently explained, Nine wouldn't expect to recoup its investment off the tournament.
“The fact of the matter is this, Nine will dominate the next two weeks of ratings,” he said.
“It’s heavier a schedule now because of the amount of cricket around it, but Nine will still dominate.
“They’re not going to get their money back, you don’t get your money back, the kind of money you spend to have an Australian Open, it’s about launching your year.
“Regardless of who ends up in the finals… at the end of next week, they’ll still be massive, massive ratings.”
Nine recently re-signed with Tennis Australia as the domestic broadcaster of the Australian Open on a deal reportedly worth $425 million until 2029.