Tom Elliott explains why Nine was right to show MAFS over World Cup Final on main channel

Tom Elliott says criticism of Channel 9 for choosing to show Married At First Sight over the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup Final is misguided.

He said it was a business decision, which has since been justified.

The network, which owns 3AW, has been scolded by some for not showcasing the event on its main channel.

Tom Elliott said he wasn’t “here to do Nine’s bidding” but defended the decision on 3AW Drive.

“In this case, I reckon Nine was absolutely right,” he said.

“Nine is a business, at the end of the day. A commercial business.

“Unlike the ABC, it doesn’t get a massive handout from the government every year.

“It’s got to make every dollar by extracting it from advertisers.

“If the people at Nine thought that more people would prefer to watch Married At First Sight, than watch the final of the T20 Women’s Cricket World Cup, then that’s a business decision.

“That’s all it is.

“It’s got nothing to do with International Women’s Day, or keeping women down.”

Viewers were still able to watch the cricket on GEM, one of Nine’s other free-to-air channels.

And Tom Elliott said the ratings showed they pulled the right rein.

MAFS peaked at 1.21 million viewers, with the cricket final pulling in a top audience of just under 750,000.

But Susan Alberti, a leading advocate for women’s sport, said Nine missed a golden opportunity.

“I was very disappointed,” she said.

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