Nine signs Microsoft Copilot deal for Australian news

Nine and Microsoft have signed an agreement to use Nine's journalism in Microsoft Copilot responses, the first deal of its kind in Australia between Microsoft and a major news media company.

Under the arrangement, Copilot can reference text from Nine's masthead content during AI searches, including material beyond paywalled previews. It will show snippets, headlines and summaries, and direct users to Nine's publications for the full story.

The agreement covers content from The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times. It is intended to let Copilot use Nine's reporting to provide context and attribution in responses shown to users.

The move highlights growing commercial negotiations between publishers and technology groups over how generative AI tools use news content. Media companies argue that AI systems should recognise copyright, attribute original reporting and create paths back to publishers' own platforms.

For Nine, the agreement extends efforts to secure terms for the use of its journalism as AI products become another channel through which audiences access information. For Microsoft, it gives Copilot access to material from some of Australia's best-known news titles as it seeks to tie answers more closely to established reporting.

Matt Stanton, Chief Executive Officer, Nine Entertainment, described the agreement as part of a broader shift in how AI products interact with professional journalism.

"We are delighted to partner with Microsoft on this agreement. As AI continues to evolve, the role of verified, premium journalism in grounding these outputs is essential," said Matt Stanton, Chief Executive Officer, Nine Entertainment.

He said the arrangement was intended to balance user access with publisher rights.

"This collaboration is a win-win, delivering for users of AI while respecting copyright and protecting the long-term value of our intellectual property," Stanton said.

Content access

Microsoft said the partnership would allow Copilot to anchor its answers in reporting from recognised Australian mastheads while preserving a path for readers to reach the original articles. The approach reflects a broader industry push to ensure AI-generated responses do not detach information from their source.

Jane Livesey, President, Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, said trust in source material was becoming more important as people increasingly use AI tools to search for information.

"AI is transforming the way Australians connect with information, and access to trustworthy sources has never mattered more," said Jane Livesey, President, Microsoft Australia and New Zealand.

"Our agreement with Nine will ground responses from Microsoft Copilot in trusted mastheads, giving people verified facts, a clear path to the full story, and confidence in what they read. Forward-thinking partnerships like this show how technology and media companies can work together to ensure a thriving future for Australian journalism," Livesey said.

Regional first

Nine said the arrangement also marks Microsoft's first deal of this kind in the Asia Pacific region. The agreement adds a regional dimension to negotiations with AI developers and suggests such licensing structures are spreading beyond the United States and Europe.

Tory Maguire, Managing Director, Publishing, Nine Entertainment, said the deal marked a shift in how Australian publishers and AI companies work together.

"I'm delighted to reach this deal, which delivers for both readers of our content and users of Microsoft AI," said Tory Maguire, Managing Director, Publishing, Nine Entertainment.

"Microsoft has been a proactive, engaged partner committed to source attribution. This continues to unlock new revenue opportunities for our mastheads as the media ecosystem evolves, supporting local and trusted Australian journalism," Maguire said.

"It means helping Microsoft connect users with more informed, high-quality information through its AI offerings while also delivering for content owners," she said.

"We are meeting readers where they are. By providing important context for Copilot, we ensure AI outputs are grounded in verified facts, with an easy click-through to our websites to read the full article," Maguire said.