If any company exhibits the preconditions for change in 2025 it would have to be Nine Entertainment. Firstly, the company has initiated a strategic review. Secondly, one of Australia’s best known investor agitators, John Wylie, has stealthily built a shareholding. But perhaps most importantly, Nine’s share price is wallowing in a slump.
Stanton has not yet been named successor, so his review of the operating assets feels a lot like his audition for the top job. Needless to say, it is no coincidence that Nine’s performance issues, particularly in broadcast television, have been exposed during a period of weak advertising that has been evident across the industry.And while the term “strategic review” could mean anything, including further cost-cutting, in finance circles it is usually code for asset sales.