Optus has signed a two-year agreement with National Indigenous Television (NITV) that will see the telecommunications company commit 3 per cent of its consumer brand spend to First Nations media.
The agreement makes Optus one of the larger brands to commit 3 per cent of its consumer brand spend under Beyond 3%, an initiative aimed at increasing advertising investment in First Nations media.
Participation in Beyond 3% is also one of the commitments contained in the Optus Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, which was launched during NAIDOC Week 2026.
The new partnership between Optus and NITV, part of the SBS network, will focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages through a series of integrated initiatives.
Operating under the banner Speaking Country, Word of the Week, the partnership will include Word of the Week broadcasts alongside on-demand videos, audio, articles and social content.
The material will share stories connected with featured words and highlight the communities behind them.
Plans also include a documentary examining the preservation of the world’s oldest languages, their role in identity and how they can be supported to flourish.
NITV Head of Commercial, Brand and Digital Rhanna Collins said language was closely connected with identity, belonging and culture.
“Our languages are so much more than words, they represent who we are, our identity, belonging, connection and culture.
When we speak, learn and practise our languages, we strengthen our social and emotional wellbeing, instil pride in who we are, and have a thread that connects us to hundreds of generations of our ancestors,” said Rhanna Collins, Head of Commercial, Brand and Digital at NITV.
Collins said the partnership was intended to support First Nations stories, voices and languages over the longer term.
“This partnership is about ensuring our stories, voices and languages continue to thrive for future generations.
To see a communications brand like Optus working alongside NITV and our communities to invest in the long-term celebration and revitalisation of our languages demonstrates a genuine commitment to creating lasting and meaningful impact.”
The Beyond 3% initiative seeks to encourage media agencies and marketers to recognise the role and value of First Nations media.
According to the announcement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent 3.8 per cent of the Australian population, while First Nations media outlets are often overlooked during advertising campaign planning.
The initiative challenges advertisers to commit at least 3 per cent of their advertising spend to First Nations media platforms.
NITV National Sales Manager Anna Dancey said 2026 marks five years since the initiative began.
“This year marks five years of the Beyond 3% initiative which has significantly elevated the importance of brands investing in First Nations media,” said Anna Dancey, National Sales Manager at NITV.
“We are exceptionally proud of this landmark partnership with Optus which will not only continue to grow NITV but also demonstrates the significant power that commercial partnerships can have with First Nations media.”
The agreement forms part of the Optus Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, with the company linking its media investment decisions to its reconciliation commitments.
Optus Chief Corporate Affairs and Marketing Officer and RAP Executive Sponsor Felicity Ross said the plan was intended to embed reconciliation across the company’s operations.
“Our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan is about embedding reconciliation into the way we operate, including the decisions we make as a business and where we invest our media spend.
We recognise the important role First Nations media plays in strengthening representation, cultural visibility and community connection.
Through Beyond 3%, we’re taking practical action to help ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories, languages and perspectives continue to be shared on First Nations terms.
We’re proud to partner with SBS and NITV on this initiative, which reflects our commitment to turning the ambitions of our Innovate RAP into meaningful action and impact.”
The announcement comes before the SBS 2027 Upfront in Sydney on Tuesday, 1 September, where NITV will unveil its content slate for its 20th anniversary year.
NITV first launched on 13 July 2007 before joining the SBS network in 2012 as a free-to-air channel.
Other brands set to be showcased at the event as Beyond 3% supporters include NRMA Insurance, Coles, AAMI (Suncorp Group) and Amazon. According to the announcement, those companies are increasing their spending in First Nations media.
SBS Director of First Nations Tanya Denning-Orman said the initiative had changed the way participating brands approached First Nations media and consumers.
“This is the fifth year of Beyond 3% and in that period the initiative has fundamentally shifted how brands see and engage with First Nations Media and most importantly how they see and value First Nations consumers,” said Tanya Denning-Orman, SBS Director of First Nations.
“I am so proud of what has been an achieved in educating the sector and in driving brands to move beyond traditional advertising into powerful multipurpose creative which is helping all Australians understand First Nations stories and perspectives.
We are pleased to welcome Optus, alongside the many other leading Australian brands, who are doing partnerships differently.
Using NITV’s cultural authority and SBS’s scale promotes greater investment in First Nations media, content and communities.”
