[3] The Nine Network's first broadcasting station was launched in Sydney, New South Wales, as TCN-9 on 16 September 1956 by The Daily Telegraph owner Frank Packer.

[6] Nine, which then also included Channel 9 in Brisbane, fell back into the hands of Kerry Packer after Alan Bond's bankruptcy in 1992.

In 1978, Nine switched its slogan to "Still the One" (modelled on the campaign used by ABC in the United States and using the Orleans song Still the One), which lasted until a decline in ratings in January 2006.

After a period of declining ratings, David Gyngell returned to the job of chief executive officer in October 2007, succeeding Eddie McGuire.

In 2008, as part of a major relaunch, the network dropped the blue box, and reinstated its nine dots in its logo, with a CGI look.

In 2009, Nine started relatively strongly due to the top-rating Australian drama Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities and the Twenty20 Cricket series until Nine lost the rights in 2018 but could not hold its audience after Network Ten's MasterChef Australia became a hit.

Nine also brought back This Is Your Life with Eddie McGuire as host, although the series was cancelled after airing four episodes.

The Nine Network had success in the ratings in the second half of 2011 with The Block, Underbelly: Razor, and The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

The highly anticipated return of a revamped ninth season of Two and a Half Men proved a huge success for the network, generating 2.3 million viewers and dominating the week as top program.

[11] On 24 November 2011, the Nine Network announced the line-up for 2012, with a focus on reality programs, including an Australian version of The Voice, the return of Big Brother, Excess Baggage, and The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

On 26 March 2012, the Nine Network launched and debuted Extra, a new channel aimed at delivering home shopping, brand funded, religious, community, educational and multi-cultural programming content created by advertisers.

It was reported on 31 May 2012 that the Australian telecommunications company Telstra and WIN Television Network CEO, Bruce Gordon, are considering making a takeover bid for Nine Entertainment.

[citation needed] It was reported on 3 June 2013 that the Nine Network would immediately purchase Adelaide affiliate NWS-9 from the WIN Corporation as part of a deal to secure international cricket television rights.

On 8 November 2013, FIXPlay was merged into Jump-in, later renamed to 9Jumpin in May 2014, integrating catch-up TV with interactive social media.

[23][24] On 16 December 2015, Nine also changed its on-air theme for a continuous design across all of its channels with the Nine News/9news.com.au branding to remain unchanged.

[25][26] The case was later dismissed on 28 April 2016 with Justice Hammerschlag of the NSW Supreme Court stating that, "I have concluded that live streaming is not broadcasting within the meaning of the PSA (program supply agreement), and that Nine is under no express or implied obligation not to do it.

[29][30] Nine later secured an affiliate deal with Mildura Digital Television, a joint venture between WIN and Prime Media Group, on 28 June 2016 to supply Nine content to the Mildura and Sunraysia area due to WIN switching affiliation to Network Ten.

[citation needed] On 5 April 2020, Nine launched 9Rush as a joint venture with Discovery Inc., which features action and adventure-themed reality series targeting a young adult male audience.

[43] In March 2021, it was reported that the network had suffered a suspected ransomware attack using MedusaLocker during live broadcast.

[44][45][46][47][48][49] On 12 March 2021, Nine announced that it would return to WIN Television as its regional affiliate in most markets beginning on 1 July 2021, in a deal that will last at least seven years.

WIN will also provide advertising sales services for Nine's O&O stations NBN and NTD (with the former succeeding a similar agreement it had with SCA).

Nine CEO Hugh Marks explained that "while our relationship with Southern Cross has been strong over the last five years, the opportunities presented by the WIN Network to both extend the reach of Nine's premium content into more regional markets under one agreement, and to work cooperatively with them on a national and local news operation, mean this is the right time for us to return to WIN.

Current US programs that air on Nine and its digital multichannels are sourced from Nine's deals with Roadshow Entertainment / Warner Bros. International Television Distribution and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc, Sony Pictures Television International / Sony Pictures Animation, NBCUniversal Global Distribution and Illumination Entertainment / DreamWorks and DreamWorks Animation, CBS Studios, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Disney Platform Distribution / Pixar Animation Studios / Lucasfilm / 20th Television and 20th Century Studios / Regency Enterprises, United International Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television International.

[citation needed] The network's flagship overseas program was the popular sitcoms The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.

Reporters including Simon Bouda, Allison Langdon, Chloe Bugelly, Eddie Blake, Tim Arvier, and Brett McLeod have all been on projects for Nine News bulletins in Greece, the UK, France, South Africa, Thailand, and the Czech Republic.

The receiving stations and affiliates then insert their own localised news and advertising which is then broadcast in metropolitan areas and Northern NSW via owned-and-operated stations, including TCN Sydney, GTV Melbourne, QTQ Brisbane, NWS Adelaide, STW Perth, NTD Darwin and NBN Northern New South Wales.

[66] On 1 September 2002, the dots were changed back to spheres from the 1997 logo as well as the numeral becoming 3D for their "7 colours for 7 days" presentation package.

[65] Later on 15 January 2007, the blue square became solid, and in May they partially relaunched the nine dots, which are visible on every second surface of the box.

On 27 September, the dots are changed to spheres from the 1997 logo yet again when the network's original slogan "Welcome Home" was launched.

In March 2021, Thomas Sewell, leader of a neo-Nazi group, and an associate who filmed the incident, went to the Channel 9 Melbourne studios and asked to speak to news staff, before attacking a security guard who was trying to escort him out.