As Australians head to the polls to decide who will lead the country on Saturday May 3, 2025, Australia’s media networks swing into action, offering coverage across the day and night.
Here’s how each of them will be covering it across the weekend.
ABC
TV
ABC TV and ABC iview will kick things off at 7am, led by Fauziah Ibrahim and Dan Bourchier on Weekend Breakfast. From 11am to 4pm, Kathryn Robinson delivers extended news bulletins.
At 5pm, Gemma Veness presents a national bulletin, with live crosses to reporters stationed at major polling locations and party HQs.
The network’s Election Night Special will begin at 5:30pm.
David Speers and Sarah Ferguson will anchor the main TV broadcast live from the ABC Election Centre. They’ll be joined by Annabel Crabb, Laura Tingle, and Bridget Brennan, who’ll speak with candidates around the country.
Special guests Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Coalition Senator James McGrath will add perspective throughout the evening.
Making his final election appearance, Antony Green returns to crunch the numbers one last time.
Jeremy Fernandez will guide viewers through the national vote with the help of the ABC’s famous ‘Big Board’, alongside data analyst Casey Briggs.
On a separate panel, Patricia Karvelas will lead discussion with campaign veterans Kosmos Samaras and Tony Barry of RedBridge Group.
ABC reporters will be stationed in critical battlegrounds, with Jane Norman and Olivia Caisley tracking party reactions and broadcasting victory or concession speeches live.
The morning after, Weekend Breakfast begins at 6am, broadcasting from key electorates to capture voter sentiment and community hopes for the next government.
At 9am, tune in for a 90-minute post-election Insiders special hosted by David Speers, with analysis from Samantha Maiden, Jacob Greber, and David Crowe.
Radio
ABC NewsRadio and Local Radio kick off live national coverage at 6pm, hosted by Thomas Oriti, Sabra Lane, Melissa Clarke and Dr Jill Sheppard, offering a seat-by-seat breakdown as results roll in.
Later, Patricia Karvelas and Jacob Greber will unpack the outcomes on a special election edition of the Politics Now podcast.
The morning after, Rachel Mealey hosts a special edition of AM on your local ABC radio station, followed by Steve Austin’s extended live program from 10am. In WA, coverage begins at 9am local time with Gary Adshead and Nadia Mitsopoulos.
Finally, ABC News Daily will spotlight the biggest story of the election and what it means for Australians moving forward.
Nine
As Australians head to the polling booths, Nine will go live with Election 2025: Australia Decides from 5.00pm, broadcasting across Channel 9, 9Now, and Stan.
The coverage will be hosted by Ally Langdon and Peter Overton, providing viewers with a front-row seat to the election’s key developments, as they unfold.
From campaign promises to polling booth reactions, the show aims to deliver fast, smart reporting and expert insight on the issues most affecting voters, including the cost of living, housing pressures, climate policy, healthcare access, and the ripple effects of the US Government’s new tariff regime.
Sarah Abo will report from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s camp, while Karl Stefanovic will follow the evening’s action from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s headquarters.
Inside Nine’s election HQ, Charles Croucher, Andrew Probyn, and Liz Daniels will lead political analysis throughout the night. Croucher, Nine’s Political Editor, will be joined by Probyn, the network’s National Affairs Editor, and Daniels, a senior politics reporter, as they break down the numbers and the narratives shaping the vote.
Adding perspective from inside the political arena, the panel will feature Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Energy Minister Chris Bowen, National’s Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie, and former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne.
Online, users can follow the results live at 9news.com.au and all social platforms will be updating as news comes in.
Seven
Michael Usher and Natalie Barr will anchor 7NEWS: Australia Decides – The Results Live, with the support of political editor Mark Riley.
Joining the broadcast live from 7NEWS Election Central are political figures from across the spectrum, Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, Jane Hume, Michaelia Cash, Clare O’Neil, Warren Mundine, and Clive Palmer, offering contrasting views and sharp analysis as the results roll in.
Coverage begins ahead of the pack at 4:00pm with a national 7NEWS bulletin on Seven and 7plus.
From 5:00pm, Monique Wright and David Woiwod step in with 7NEWS: Australia Decides – Election 2025, taking a more relaxed view of the day’s events and cutting live to battleground electorates.
The main event starts at 7:00pm, with Usher and Barr returning to guide Australians through the night’s big calls, deep dives and live crosses to key seats across the country.
In a first for Australian election broadcasting, Seven will use the 7NEWS Power Board, powered by CNN’s US election tech partner InterKnowlogy, to deliver live booth-level vote breakdowns.
Hugh Whitfeld, together with political scientists Simon Jackman and Luke Mansillo, will crunch the numbers in real time. Meanwhile, the 7NEWS Election Needle will adjust throughout the night, indicating the likelihood of either major party forming government.
Inside Seven’s new election situation room, Tim McMillan leads a team of analysts, researchers, and political insiders, decoding how each campaign is feeling as the race unfolds.
Seven will have journalists stationed in every state, delivering live reports from inside party HQs and across the most competitive electorates.
Online, users can follow the results at 7NEWS.com.au, The West, and The Nightly, with live electorate maps, seat counts, and expert commentary.
Social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, will provide breaking clips, reactions, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content from inside the election command centre.
Network 10
Coverage kicks off at 5pm in all markets, led by Sandra Sully, Hugh Riminton, and Ashleigh Raper, who will steer the network’s national broadcast across 10, 10 Play and the 10 News First YouTube Channel.
Viewers in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane can tune in live at 6pm AEST, while Adelaide goes to air at 6pm ACST, and Perth begins at 4pm AWST.
Throughout the night, the panel will feature live contributions from political players across the spectrum: Senator Jenny McAllister, Kylea Tink MP, Senator Dave Sharma, with Senator Jacqui Lambie and David Littleproud MP dialling in remotely.
Meanwhile, on-the-ground reports will stream in from battleground electorates across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.
Injecting a dose of humour into the night, Errol Parker and Clancy Overell from The Betoota Advocate will join the broadcast live from “Betoota HQ.” Known for their satirical lens on politics and media, the pair will offer offbeat commentary as only they can, skewering spin and dissecting the drama in real time.
Sky News Australia
The broadcast marathon begins early with First Edition: Australia Decides at 6:00am, hosted by Peter Stefanovic in Brisbane, offering live updates from key electorates.
From 9:00am, Laura Jayes takes over with AM Agenda: Australia Decides in Sydney, capturing early turnout and momentum shifts.
At 11:00am, Ashleigh Gillon hosts NewsDay: Australia Decides from Perth, continuing the rolling national coverage, followed by Holly Stearnes at 2:00pm in Melbourne with Afternoon Agenda: Australia Decides as polls edge toward closing.
At 5:00pm AEST, Kieran Gilbert leads Australia Decides: Election Night with live results, projections, and expert commentary. He’s joined by a panel including Andrew Clennell, Peta Credlin, Chris Uhlmann, Murray Watt, Sarah Henderson, Barnaby Joyce, and Joel Fitzgibbon for insight into vote swings, party strategy, and potential outcomes.
Tom Connell, as Chief Election Analyst, will crunch the numbers and explain real-time results from all 151 seats.
Expect regular crosses to Sharri Markson and Paul Murray at Liberal HQ, and to Chris Kenny and Laura Jayes at Labor HQ, providing on-the-ground reaction as results come in.
Additional coverage will come from a national team of commentators and reporters, including Andrew Bolt, Matt Cunningham, Ross Greenwood, and Graham Richardson.
Tom Connell, Sky News Australia’s Chief Election Analyst
Coverage continues Sunday 4 May, with analysis and fallout beginning at 6:00am on Weekend Edition: Australia’’ Verdict, hosted by Tim Gilbert.
Andrew Clennell leads Sunday Agenda from 7:00am, followed by Outsiders at 9:00am with Rowan Dean, Rita Panahi, and James Morrow. At 11:00am, Ross Greenwood returns for Business Weekend, unpacking the economic implications of the vote.
From midday, Kieran Gilbert, Ashleigh Gillon, and Holly Stearnes resume their coverage through the afternoon and evening. Tom Connell will continue breaking down final results and battleground outcomes across the day.
Viewers can catch the full coverage on Sky News, the dedicated Sky News Election Channel, free-to-air Sky News Regional, and FAST channel Sky News Now. Digital streaming is available on SkyNews.com.au, the Sky News Australia app (for mobile, tablet, and smart TVs), and on DAB+ digital radio in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
SBS
Television coverage kicks off during a special one-hour edition of SBS World News, airing from 6:30pm to 7:30pm local time. The bulletin will be presented by Janice Petersen and feature in-depth reporting and analysis from Anna Henderson, SBS’s Chief Political Correspondent. They’ll be joined by special guests and correspondents stationed across Australia and abroad.
SBS will run a comprehensive live blog throughout election night, providing up-to-the-minute results and reactions from across the country. Expect analysis from political experts, reports from field journalists, and updates accessible across all SBS digital platforms.
NITV will offer dedicated coverage from the Northern Territory, home to Australia’s largest Indigenous voting population, while also capturing First Nations voices and experiences at polling booths nationwide.
The channel’s reporting will prioritise Indigenous perspectives as the results unfold.
All times unless stated are in AEST