Australia’s major broadcasters are rolling out wall-to-wall coverage plans for Budget Night 2026, with special programming, live analysis and multi-platform streaming set to dominate schedules.
Networks are promising deep dives into Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ fifth Federal Budget, with a strong focus on cost-of-living pressures, housing, tax reform and household finances.
Coverage will span broadcast, streaming, radio, digital, and social platforms as networks compete to break down what the Budget means for Australians in real time.
Here’s what they’ve got planned…
ABC
Jeremy Fernandez, Sarah Ferguson, and David Speers
ABC TV and ABC iview
Coverage will begin with a Budget preview hosted by Jeremy Fernandez live from Parliament House during the eastern states 7pm News bulletin.
At 7.30pm, the network will broadcast Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ Budget speech in full.
From 8pm, Sarah Ferguson will host a 7.30 Budget Special, featuring interviews with Chalmers and Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson, alongside analysis from Jane Norman, Jacob Greber, Ian Verrender and Tom Crowley.
At 8.30pm, David Speers will front a primetime Insiders Budget Special. He will be joined by budget experts Chris Richardson and Aruna Sathanapally, as well as political commentators Patricia Karvelas, Melissa Clarke and Jacob Greber.
Business reporter David Chau will examine the implications for small and large businesses, while disability affairs reporter Nas Campanella will analyse changes to the NDIS.
At 9.30pm, The Business will see Kirsten Aiken joined by Ian Verrender, Michael Brennan and Devika Shivadekar to break down the Budget’s economic and household impact.
The program will also feature housing analysis from Michael Janda and business reaction reporting from Alicia Barry, while David Taylor reports from inside the Budget lock-up.
ABC Radio
The broadcaster’s radio coverage will also begin with the Treasurer’s speech at 7.30pm, continuing through to 9pm across ABC radio stations and the ABC listen app.
The coverage will focus on unpacking how the Budget measures are expected to affect Australians, with live analysis and reporting throughout the evening.
ABC Online
The ABC News website will run rolling digital coverage of the Federal Budget, including a live blog featuring specialist analysis, expert commentary, and breakdowns of the Budget’s key winners and losers.
The broadcaster also confirmed it will air Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s Budget Reply speech live at 7.30pm on Thursday, 14 May.
7NEWS
Michael Usher and Mark Riley
Coverage will begin from 6pm, focusing on the major economic measures expected to affect Australian households, including cost-of-living pressures, mortgages and tax policy changes.
Breaking updates from Canberra will continue throughout the evening across Seven and 7plus as Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivers the Federal Budget from 7.30pm.
At 9pm, Michael Usher will host a one-hour 7NEWS Budget special alongside Mark Riley and a panel of economists and political commentators examining the Budget’s impact on households and the broader economy.
The special will also feature audience questions directed to the government, with the network positioning viewers as part of the national Budget conversation.
Seven said coverage would focus on major policy settings expected to feature in the Budget, including potential changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax.
Riley will lead the political analysis and interview coverage from Canberra as the network examines the government’s economic agenda and fiscal decisions.
Budget coverage will continue from 5.30am on Wednesday, 13 May, during Sunrise, with analysis of the Budget’s winners and losers.
The broadcaster’s digital coverage will also run throughout the night via the 7NEWS website, featuring rolling updates, analysis and Budget insights.
Nine
Coverage will begin at 6pm during the network’s flagship 9News bulletin, featuring analysis from Chris Kohler, Effie Zahos, Charles Croucher and Andrew Probyn.
From 7.30pm AEST, the broadcaster will stream Budget Revealed live on 9Now, alongside coverage across its TikTok, YouTube and Facebook channels as Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivers the Federal Budget.
At 8.30pm, Peter Overton will host a 9News Budget Special, offering further analysis of the government’s spending measures and their impact on Australian households.
Throughout the evening, the network’s panel of finance and political reporters will also respond to viewer questions submitted via social media and on-screen QR code prompts.
Network 10
Network 10 will cover the 2026–27 Federal Budget during 10’s Late News at 9.40pm, following The Cheap Seats.
Sky News Australia
Ross Greenwood
Chris Kenny will open the network’s Budget Night coverage from 5pm, previewing the key policy issues expected to shape the Budget.
From 6pm, Peta Credlin will host a 90-minute Budget special of Credlin, offering analysis ahead of the Treasurer’s speech from Parliament House.
At 7.30pm, Sky News will broadcast Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ Budget speech live.
Coverage will continue from 8pm with Budget 2026 LIVE, hosted by Kieran Gilbert alongside a panel including Andrew Clennell, Ross Greenwood, Chris Uhlmann and Laura Jayes.
The program will feature interviews with leading political figures including Jim Chalmers, Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson and One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce.
Additional commentary will come from Andrew Bolt and former Labor ministers Stephen Conroy and Joel Fitzgibbon.
The broadcaster said viewers would also hear reactions from Australians on the ground, with regional correspondent Jaynie Seal reporting from Bendigo, Victoria, and Queensland political reporter Harry Clarke crossing live from Logan.
At 9.30pm, Paul Murray will front a 90-minute Budget special edition of Paul Murray Live, focusing on the broader economic and political implications of the government’s financial decisions.
From 11pm, The Late Debate with James Macpherson, Caleb Bond and Danica De Giorgio will examine the first newspaper reactions and political fallout from Budget Night.
The broadcaster’s Budget programming will also include a special edition of Budget Battleground with Ross Greenwood, airing Sunday, 10 May at 7.30pm.
On Wednesday, 13 May at 12.30pm, Sky News will broadcast Jim Chalmers’ address to the National Press Club of Australia live from Parliament’s Great Hall.
Coverage will conclude on Thursday, 14 May at 7.30pm with Opposition Leader Angus Taylor delivering the Coalition’s Budget Reply speech live on the network.