Fishing in the Northern Territory is about to get more exciting than ever. In the biggest news since Million Dollar Fish (MDF) began in 2015, someone will definitely win a million dollars during Season 9.
Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) delivers Australia’s richest fishing competition, underwritten by SportsBet. Season 9 runs from 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024 and registrations open tomorrow.
Over the years, we’ve released hundreds of tagged barramundis into the Top End’s five main fishing regions – Darwin, Katherine, Kakadu, Arnhem Land and the Tiwi Islands. Thousands of dollars have also been paid out to fishos lucky enough to catch them. But no one has caught one of the fish sporting a tag worth $1 million yet.
That’s all set to change this season. We’ve planned a number of initiatives to ensure someone bags a big one. To maintain the integrity of the competition, we’ll release details as the season progresses, with the first initiative ready for the start of Season 9 on 1 October 2023. Anyone keen to try their luck follow the MDF social channels and register for Season 9 now, for free.
You’ll automatically enter into the Lucky Prize Pool when you register. Each month we’ll give out prizes galore, ranging from holidays to fishing gear. You won’t even need to wet a line to win something.
Million Dollar Fish delivers for the NT
Million Dollar Fish delivers for the Territory, with last season o-fish-ally the biggest. Season 8 recorded the most registrations ever (47,949). The last Season also saw the most red-tagged fish caught – 20 – and the lucky winning fishos taking home $230,000 between them (some received Double the Dough).
Every time a fisho catches a $10,000 fish, they donate an extra $1000 to the MDF charity of their choice. The official MDF charities (Cancer Council NT, Shoreline and Starlight Children’s Foundation Darwin Star Ball) received more than ever, sharing $23,000. This year a new charity will join the list of MDF charities – Riding for the Disabled Association Top End.
MDF continues to deliver for the Territory economy, too. Independent research shows Season 8 generated a total expenditure stimulus, in the Northern Territory, of $70.8 million, 33.3 per cent ($23.6 million) of which was new money to the Top End region. The research also revealed:
- MDF delivered 153,677 visitor nights across the NT.
- 7 per cent of participants purchased fishing equipment.
- 3 per cent of participants said they were likely to return next year.
Fishos must be registered for Season 9 to claim any prize money from a tagged fish. To find out more and to register, visit https://milliondollarfish.com.au/