Channel Nine identity dies after year-long cancer battle: ‘An extraordinary individual’

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Respected Channel Nine identity Matt Granger has died after a year-long battle with cancer.

He led the network’s sports advertising sales, and was responsible for planning how to sell advertising for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Matt James, Nine’s head of sales, announced the news on Thursday, describing his coworker as a vital and foundational member of the team.

‘It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I share some incredibly difficult news with you all,’ he wrote in a message to staff.

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Matt Granger’s passing. After a year-long fight with cancer, our beloved colleague and friend passed away yesterday morning.

I was so saddened to hear about James Grange. As Director of Sales for all things Sport, Olympic, and Paralympic, he was absolutely vital to our company and a true leader on our team. We really relied on him.

For the past eight years, he played a vital role in our achievements and was a key leader within the sales team.

James shared that, beyond being a valuable team member, he was also a good friend to many people at the network.

Matt was a remarkable person, a valued coworker, and a true friend to many at Nine, he shared.

Everyone who knew and worked with him will greatly miss his kind heart, warm personality, and positive attitude.

Oh my gosh, before he even got to Nine in 2018 – can you believe it’s been that long?! – Granger already had this incredible career in Australian media. Seriously, the guy’s been a legend for ages! He wasn’t some newbie when he became their sport sales director; he was already a total pro.

I’ve spent a good portion of my career in radio, starting back in 2011 with the Australian Radio Network, or ARN, where I initially led their national agency sales team. I really enjoyed building those relationships and understanding what agencies needed. Later, in 2017, I moved into a broader role as ARN’s commercial director, overseeing all things revenue and strategy. It was a fantastic experience!

He started his career in television in 1995 at Channel Seven, working in sales. He quickly rose through the ranks and became group sales manager in 2002, a role he maintained for five years.

Granger left that role in 2007 to become the NSW sales manager for Seven Affiliate Sales.

Stephen Johnson, a sports sales manager at Seven West Media in Sydney, had previously given Granger a very positive recommendation.

‘Grange is one of the truly natural transformational leaders,’ he wrote. 

I really enjoyed working with Grange. Not only is he a strong business leader – I highly recommend him – but his guidance as a mentor and coach continues to help me even now.

Jamie Wood, a media consultant who had worked with Granger before, also complimented his consistently positive attitude.

He described Matt as remarkably positive and able to handle stress well, often juggling many difficult projects with a good sense of humor and a practical attitude.

Matt is survived by his wife Nellie and their three children. 

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2025-12-13 03:33