Just days after the sudden departure of 7NEWS boss Anthony De Ceglie, the Seven Network has announced a major shake-up across its sports division, unveiling two key leadership appointments with a strong focus on cricket, racing and the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The network confirmed today that Joel Starcevic has been promoted to Head of Horse Racing and Cricket, while Anna Stone steps into the newly created dual role of Head of Commonwealth Games and Executive Producer of Cricket.
These changes come at a pivotal time for Seven.
With De Ceglie exiting after just over a year at the helm of the newsroom, the focus now shifts toward cementing the network’s dominance in premium live sport, a crucial battleground for both audience attention and advertising dollars.
Fresh faces, familiar pedigree
Starcevic and Stone are no strangers to Seven’s sport stable.
Starcevic has already been leading Seven’s cricket coverage and boasts a long production résumé spanning AFL, horse racing, the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the Bathurst 1000.
In a statement, Starcevic said he was “honoured and proud” to lead a “talented team” of production and on-air talent delivering what he called “world-class horse racing coverage every Saturday afternoon for 52 weeks of the year.”
That coverage, available both on Seven’s main channel and 7plus, has become a cornerstone of the network’s live sport slate, offering consistent reach for sponsors and advertisers in a relatively uncluttered programming window.
Starcevic also flagged a huge summer ahead for cricket, with the Ashes returning to Australian soil, alongside a full season of the Big Bash League and WBBL.
Meanwhile, Stone moves into her new remit from her role as Executive Producer of Women’s Cricket. She previously led Seven’s Supercars coverage and played a senior role in the broadcast planning for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
She said her appointment was “an incredible honour,” and spoke about the Commonwealth Games as a “global celebration of culture, resilience and world-class athleticism.”
“Producing coverage of Australia’s most storied sporting rivalry is always a privilege,” she added, referring to the Ashes. “We’re ecstatic to deliver every ball, every boundary and every big moment to fans around the country.”
2026 and 2030 Commonwealth Games now in focus
Stone’s elevation also marks a strategic move as Seven gears up for two future Commonwealth Games. In April, the network announced an exclusive broadcast partnership with Commonwealth Sport for the 2026 Games in Glasgow.
Seven is also locked in as the official media partner for the 2030 Games, with the host city yet to be confirmed.
Seven’s long-term play in this space reinforces its status as the home of major sporting events, and underlines its pitch to advertisers looking for consistent, brand-safe environments with national reach.
Angela Rampal, currently Head of Motorsport, has also been tapped as Executive Producer of the Commonwealth Games, working alongside Stone to deliver what the network hopes will be a compelling broadcast experience across TV and digital.
Backfilling and building depth
As part of today’s announcement, Seven has also elevated Matthew Gray to the new role of Co-ordinating Producer of horse racing. The network is in-market for a second person to work alongside Gray, reflecting both the growth of the racing vertical and the scale of production required across multiple venues and platforms.
Chris Jones
Chris Jones, Director of Network Sport at Seven, described the appointments as a vote of confidence in Seven’s “remarkable” sport production team.
“Joel, Anna, Angela and Matt have been integral to our team for many years now,” he said. “It’s great to see them taking on these new opportunities and growing their careers at Seven.”
Today’s announcement rounds out several recent senior appointments to Seven’s sport team, which is now made up of:
Chris Jones – Director of Network Sport
Gary O’Keeffe – Head of AFL and Sport Innovation
Kirsty Bradmore – Head of Sport Digital
Joel Starcevic – Head of Horse Racing and Cricket
Anna Stone – Head of Commonwealth Games, Executive Producer Cricket
Angela Rampal – Head of Motorsport, Executive Producer Commonwealth Games
Greg Smith – Head of Production – Sport
Lisa Peach – Head of Production Management – Sport
Emma Francis – Head of Communications – Sport
Chantelle Hugo – Head of Marketing – News, Public Affairs & Sport
Simon Atkinson – Head of 7Sport Creative