Nine Network’s estimated profit revealed as The Block suffers worst auctions ever

It’s being dubbed the “worst” Block ever for the contestants, but Channel 9 has emerged as the silent winner as its bumper profit has been revealed.

It’s being dubbed the “worst” Block ever for the contestants, with only one team making a truly life-changing profit on their build.

Winners Omar and Oz took home a record $1,686,666.66 after going first in the auction line-up, while season favourites Tom and Sarah Jane made a measly $20,000.99.

Two teams – Sharon and Ankur and Jenny and Dylan – are still awaiting results after their properties were passed in, while Rachel and Ryan managed to make $169,000.50 after post-auction negotiations.

But the silent winner of The Block was easily Channel 9, with the network estimated to be raking in an astonishing profit from the 2022 season.

Scott Cam on The Block.

The Australian’s Media Diary reports Nine paid around $11 million for the 28ha Gisborne land in 2021, which was later subdivided into seven 10 acre lots, five of which were assigned to this year’s teams. Host Scott Cam developed one of the lots, while the seventh lot remains undeveloped.

Factoring in the $4.08m reserves across the board, the publication estimates the network will make $30 million from its ‘tree-change’ season once it sells Cam’s property and the undeveloped lot.

However, this profit isn’t taking into account production costs for building the properties.

Given The Block is one of the top-rating shows on Nine, there’s no doubt of a further windfall with advertising dollars across the season, as episodes regularly drew over 1m viewers.

Nine reportedly paid $11 million for the 28ha Gisborne land. Picture: David Geraghty.

While prize money is never guaranteed on The Block, it’s been rare that teams don’t make a bumper profit on auction day.

Last year’s winners Mitch and Mark earned $744,000 for their efforts, while the year before, Jimmy and Tam scored the biggest win in Block history at the time with $1.066m.

But there have been horror years in the past — like 2014, where two teams earned just $10,000 apiece and another only $40,000.

Earlier, Cam didn’t seem confident going into the auctions, with cost-of-living pressures and climbing interest rates impacting the property market.

“Interest rates went up again on Melbourne Cup day,” he pointed out during an appearance on Today last week.

“We hand our show over to other people on the grand finale – we give it to real estate agents and the buying public, and we’ve got no control. We are very nervous.”

Omar and Oz made a record profit, while the rest of the teams were left with little to nothing.

Meanwhile, Tom and Sarah-Jane have revealed the brutal toll of their dismal result, saying they’ll need to sell the car they won during Landscape Week after spending a huge chunk of their savings to appear on the show.

Taking to Instagram in the wake of the shock result, the couple wrote: “Unfortunately for Tom we will need to sell the Ford”, referencing the $80,000 Ford Ranger they took home for their final challenge week.

The couple also told Nine that they’d spent “more than $20,000 of our savings” to take part in the gruelling 12 weeks of filming.