Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) is heading into its first full ratings cycle under Seven West Media (SWM) ownership, talking up scale, certainty and a renewed focus on live and local audio, as the newly combined business digests Survey 8 and looks ahead to 2026.
With Seven West Media’s $385 million all-scrip acquisition of SCA now complete, the radio group is signalling continuity rather than disruption.
SWM shareholders have been issued 0.1552 SCA shares per SWM share, SWM has been delisted from the ASX, and trading in the newly structured entity begins this week.
For SCA’s Head of Broadcast Content, Matthew O’Reilly, the immediate focus is less on corporate reshuffling and more on execution.
“No fundamental changes and any changes that happen will be positive to both parties,” he told Mediaweek.
“We’re starting chats now around cost promotion, helping each other out, and sharing content. It’s really early days, but the potential and opportunities of bringing together Australia’s best content creators into one place is an opportunity we haven’t seen before.”
Matthew O’Reilly
Why 25–54 still matters
If there is one constant in SCA’s strategy, it’s the battle for the 25–54 demographic, which continues to anchor programming decisions across Hit and Triple M.
“I think we’re dominant at it because it’s just such a focus for us,” O’Reilly said.
“It’s sort of the only age demographic that figures in our decision-making. So I think focusing on something helps you become successful at it”.
O’Reilly said the strategy isn’t about owning every corner of the 25–54 bracket, but about winning the segments that actually shift the needle. That focus has quietly re-engineered Triple M in recent years, with the sport-led network broadening its appeal well beyond its traditional male stronghold without dulling its edge.
“In terms of Triple M, it’s now really developed into a network that’s 55% male, 45% female,” he said.
Steady gains, soft spots and Adelaide dominance
Survey 8 delivered a mixed but largely steady result for SCA, particularly given the backdrop of structural change.
In Sydney, Triple M edged up overall from 4.3 to 4.5, with breakfast lifting marginally from 3.9 to 4.0. While 2DayFM breakfast remained flat at 2.9 for a second consecutive survey, the result confirmed stability rather than further erosion.
Melbourne was softer, with Triple M easing from 6.9 to 6.8 overall and breakfast flatlining at 6.4, reflecting broader market softness rather than a single-network issue.
Adelaide, however, remains the standout. Triple M held its position as the city’s dominant station despite a slight softening, dipping from 14.3 to 13.9 overall. Breakfast remained comfortably ahead of the field, easing from 16.2 to 15.1.
O’Reilly said Adelaide’s performance reinforces SCA’s long-held belief in localism as a commercial and content advantage.
“We think localism works. I think if you look at all the markets, you’ll find that it’s almost always the longest-running shows in the market are the most successful,” he said.
That commitment is also backed by scale.
“We did the sums late last year, and this might’ve changed now, but we turned out 57 more local hours than any other network. That’s significantly more than our competitors.”
He said SCA’s model balances network efficiencies with local execution.
“We have localised strategies in each city that sit under a network umbrella, and think there are local advantages to seize in each market,” he said.
“That’s a great competitive edge for us”.
2DayFM’s Nath & Emma breakfast show (Nathan Roye & Emma Chow)
2DayFM and the opportunity of change
In Sydney, Breakfast remains the most challenging battleground, with 2DayFM continuing to recalibrate following Jimmy Smith’s exit earlier this year. The current Nath and Emma line-up is now firmly in place (at the time of print, the duo are now just three days in), but the ratings picture remains stark.
The show dropped to a 2.9% share in Survey 7 and remained there in Survey 8, underlining just how steep the rebuild remains in one of the country’s most competitive breakfast markets.
O’Reilly said moments of transition, particularly at breakfast, should be viewed as opportunities rather than setbacks.
“You’re taking a heritage show out and replacing it with a new show. That is an opportunity,” he said.
“If we’re not viewing that change as an opportunity for us to grow our audience, then we’re not doing our job. That is a team that wants to win.”
Competitors, context and 2026
Asked about rival movements, including Fox FM’s recent dip from 8.7 to 7.2, O’Reilly played it straight.
“To be honest, absolutely no idea,” he said.
“But I’ll go back to those averages, like Fox’s average, I think it was just under a nine for the past 18-to-24 months. So, I would be absolutely astounded if by survey two, it’s not back to that average,” he said.
As SCA looks toward 2026, the message is clear: no dramatic resets, no radical reinventions, but a scaled-up business leaning into proven formats, local strength and advertiser-safe environments.
With SWM now absorbing SCA, the focus shifts from deal mechanics to delivery, and from consolidation to execution, in a market still hungry for reach, reliability and results.