Nine has moved to stamp out speculation it is preparing to replace Karl Stefanovic on Today, rejecting claims the network is quietly war-gaming a post-Karl future behind the scenes.
In a statement to Mediaweek, a Nine spokesperson said the broadcaster remains firmly behind its breakfast pairing, citing commitments made publicly months ago.
“We’re incredibly proud of our Today team and the work they’ve been doing in an already busy 2026 and delighted that, as announced at the Nine Upfronts back in October, Sarah and Karl continue to lead the incredible Today team in what will be a big year full of headlines and events that affect the lives of our viewers.”
The intervention comes as internal chatter, external commentary and a swirl of on-air and off-air signals combined to trigger one of the loudest rounds of speculation about Stefanovic’s future in years.
Stefanovic and Abo.
Where the rumours started
The latest flare-up was sparked by Steve Jackson in The Australian, which claimed Nine was already mapping out succession scenarios for its longest-serving breakfast star.
According to the report, discussions were allegedly happening “at the highest levels” of Nine, with Stefanovic and co-host Sarah Abo framed as heading into what could be their final ratings year together.
One senior network source quoted in the piece suggested Nine might need to “blow up” Today’s existing format if it wanted to seriously challenge Sunrise on the Seven Network.
The names doing the rounds
Jackson’s column listed a trio of potential successors already being talked about in media circles:
• Tom Steinfort, Melbourne-based Nine News anchor
• Joel Dry, recently installed in Brisbane’s 6pm bulletin
• Matt Shirvington, the current Sunrise host and a hypothetical poaching target
The speculation went further, with Shirvington even being floated as a possible on-air partner for Samantha Armytage if Nine were to attempt a full breakfast reset.
For a market obsessed with chemistry, contracts and “next-in-line” narratives, it was enough to set off a chain reaction.
A long history of second place
Stefanovic has anchored Today for more than two decades, through multiple reinventions and a revolving door of co-hosts – from Jessica Rowe and Lisa Wilkinson to Allison Langdon and now Abo.
Throughout that run, Today has largely sat behind Sunrise in the ratings, even during its strongest years.
Stefanovic and Abo are currently on 12-month deals – a standard arrangement in breakfast TV, but one that always leaves room for intrigue.
Samantha Armytage
The Armytage detour and Karl’s podcast wildcard
This isn’t the first time Nine’s breakfast strategy has leaked into public view.
After Armytage moved from Farmer Wants A Wife to Nine’s The Golden Bachelor, there was internal consideration of pairing her with Stefanovic. That option was ultimately dropped after Stefanovic pushed to keep working with Abo.
More recently, Stefanovic added another wrinkle by launching The Karl Stefanovic Show podcast independently this month – a move that inevitably raised eyebrows inside a network that guards its breakfast franchise fiercely.
The first episode, featuring Pauline Hanson, pulled 214,000 YouTube views last week. A follow-up with Alexander Volkanovski managed just 14,000.
For a breakfast host whose primary job is to dominate the morning conversation, those numbers quickly became part of the industry sub-plot.
The network has also been here before. In 2019, Nine replaced Stefanovic with an all-female Today line-up led by Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight – a bold reset that lasted less than a year before Stefanovic was brought back.