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Today, Google released the ‘Year in Search’ for Australia in 2024. The list of the top 10 Aussie public figures that we searched for this year included six athletes, and all of them were women.

Raygun broke her way onto the search podium as Australia’s third most searched public figure. She was followed by footballer Sam Kerr (4), canoe champion Jess Fox (7), BMX rider Saya Sakakibara (8), skateboarder Arisa Trew (9), and swimmer Ariarne Titmus (10).

Raygun and Kerr, although entirely different athletes, are the only two of those six who did not win an Olympic gold medal this year.

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Stat of the day

12
The total number of penalties Chelsea football star Cole Palmer has scored without missing. Palmer scored two penalties in Chelsea’s 4-3 victory over Tottenham on the weekend, eclipsing the league record of 11 consecutive successful penalties set by Manchester City’s Yaya Toure. Chelsea sit in second place behind Liverpool on the English Premier League ladder.

Quote of the day

"Hearing about her fall has been both stressful and frightening, given the relationship we share. Dawn [Fraser] is not just an extraordinary athlete and icon, she is an incredibly special part of our life, and her wellbeing is always in our thoughts, regardless of any injury or illness she may face.”
A joint statement from Olympic swimmer Lani Pallister and her mother Janelle regarding Australian swimming legend Dawn Fraser. The 87-year-old is in hospital on the Sunshine Coast following a fall in which she broke four ribs and was required to undergo a hip replacement. Fraser, who won gold in the 100m freestyle at three consecutive Olympics, is Pallister’s godmother. 

Random fact of the day

On Sunday, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen became the only player in the 104-year history of the NFL to record three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a single game. A passing touchdown is when the player passes the ball to a teammate who runs into the endzone for a touchdown. A rushing touchdown is when the player runs the ball into the endzone without passing. 

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In case you missed it…

🏉 The Wallaroos schedule next year will include seven international matches to help the side prepare for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in August. In May, the Aussies will play their first match of the year against Fiji, followed by three Pacific Championship fixtures at home against New Zealand, Canada, and the U.S. They will face New Zealand again in July before a two-Test series against Wales. Coach Jo Yapp said: "The opportunity to play seven Test matches leading into the 2025 Rugby World Cup will provide a fantastic platform for us to continue to grow as a squad following our WXV 2 title win”.

⚽ The LA Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in the Major League Soccer final. The title brings the Galaxy’s total tally to six, the most of any MLS team. The Galaxy jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first two goals, and held on after conceding New York’s only goal of the match. It was the Galaxy’s first title since 2014. The Red Bulls have never won the MLS Cup. 

🏈 Jamaican Olympian Rojé Stona, who won gold in the men’s discus at the Paris Olympics, is one of 14 players taking part in the NFL’s International Player Program. Stona will attend the 10-week training camp beginning in January alongside three Australians — ex-Wallaby Jordan Petaia, one-time NRL player Laitia Moceidreke, and Queensland club rugby player Laki Tasi. 

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De Minaur and Ebden share 2025 Newcombe Medal

Alex de Minaur and Matt Ebden are the joint winners of the 2025 Newcombe Medal, awarded annually to Australia’s top tennis player.

Context

The Newcombe Medal is the most prestigious award in Australian tennis. It is named after Australian tennis legend John Newcombe, who won 26 grand slam titles (7 singles, 17 doubles, 2 mixed doubles) and five Davis Cups. The recipient of the award must be an outstanding elite player as well as an ambassador for the sport.

De Minaur has now won the award three times. His standout season, which saw him reach a career-high world no.6, included making the quarter-finals at three consecutive grand slams and becoming the first Australian to qualify for the end-of-year ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.

Ebden won the medal for the first time after being nominated four times previously. The 37-year-old had his best year yet, winning his third grand slam title at the Australian Open, reaching a career-high doubles ranking of no.1, and becoming an Olympic doubles champion alongside John Peers.

What they said

Ebden said: “Firstly congratulations to Alex. Him reaching the top 10 in singles is an incredible effort… I couldn’t be up here without my doubles partner”.

De Minaur said: “I’m so proud and happy to win the Newcombe Medal award again, and want to say how much I appreciate it, and also being able to share it with Matt. It’s been an incredible year for Australian tennis and I’m just so happy to be part of it.”

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Netflix and NFL: how the streaming giant is infiltrating live sport

A couple of weeks ago I was on TDA’s podcast to discuss the growing influence of streaming giants on sports broadcasting and sport in general. One of the leaders of this movement is streaming giant Netflix, who are not only impacting the shape of sports audiences through series like ‘Drive to Survive’, but have started to exert their influence on live sport.

The boxing bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, for example, attracted a peak viewership of 65 million households and became the most-watched live boxing event of all time. The next chapter in the story of Netflix’s foray into live sport is the NFL Christmas Day slate, which will feature a performance from pop superstar Beyoncé.

It’s part of a wider effort by the NFL to broaden their audience.

Three-year deal

In May this year, Netflix and the NFL announced a three-year deal. Later this month, the streaming giant will broadcast two games on Christmas Day. It will also stream one holiday game in 2025 and 2026.

At the time, NFL media distribution vice-president Hans Schroeder said: “The NFL on Christmas has become a tradition and to partner with Netflix, a service whose biggest day of the year is typically this holiday, is the perfect combination to grow this event globally for NFL fans.”

Global reach

Over 280 million people in 190 countries worldwide have a Netflix subscription. Its massive audience means a live sports deal with the streaming service is an attractive opportunity for sporting organisations, such as the NFL, to grow their fan base.

Further evidence of the NFL trying to expand its fanbase is the league playing games overseas. In 2024, the NFL held two games in London, and one each in São Paulo, Brazil and Munich, Germany. In November, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was looking at playing eight games overseas including in Spain and Ireland for the first time.

Streaming concerns

The livestream of the Paul v Tyson fight was not without its problems. Many viewers experienced buffering or poor image quality. 88,000 reports of streaming issues were submitted to Downdetector. With local and international fans eagerly anticipating the two matches and a live performance from Beyoncé on Christmas Day, Netflix is under pressure to deliver a high quality broadcast.

How to watch

The Christmas games will take place on 26 December for Australians. The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Pittsburgh Steelers at 5:00am (AEDT) followed by the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans at 8:30am (AEDT).

If you’d like to listen to the podcast mentioned at the beginning of this article about Netflix and streaming services, click on this link: https://lnk.to/0gJYiC

ICYMI: TDA Sport has a new game on Instagram called Blurdle. IYKYK.
Today’s answer: Travis Head
Useless clue: eyes, nose, face (Get it? Email me if you do.)

A message from Deakin University

How well do we understand the impact of heat on female athletes?

A recent study sheds light on a significant gap in sports science: the underrepresentation of women in research on heat adaptation. The authors reviewed existing studies and found that most focused on male athletes, leaving unanswered questions about how female physiology responds to extreme temperatures.

As global temperatures rise, this oversight could have serious implications for athletes’ performance and health. The research calls for a shift in focus to ensure that female athletes receive the same level of scientific support as their male counterparts. Read more here.

Looking forward… (All times are AEDT)

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