Sky News Australia

Rebranding as News24

News Corp's license to the Sky News brand is expected to expire in late 2026, and Sky Limited is not expected to renew the agreement due to the change in ownership and the divergence in editorial direction between Sky News UK (which must provide an impartial service per British broadcasting regulations)^[23][24] and Sky News Australia (which has increasingly broadcast conservative opinion content). It was reported that News Corp were considering rebranding the network as either "Australian News Channel" or a name containing either "Fox News"—derived from the U.S. sister network owned by Fox Corporation, or "Talk"—coming from News UK brand Talkradio, which operates a spin-off internet television service.^[17][22]

On 20 February 2026, during the official opening of their new Surry Hills headquarters to mark the channel's 30th anniversary, Sky News Australia announced that it would rebrand as News24 later in the year. Its new logo incorporates part of the News Corp wordmark, which itself is based on the handwriting of company founder Rupert Murdoch; News Corp described the new name as transitioning Sky News from being an Australia-centric television channel to a "globally ambitious", multi-platform news brand.^[25]

Current programmes

News presenters

• Peter Stefanovic
• Jaynie Seal
• Laura Jayes
• Tom Connell
• Ashleigh Gillon
• Kieran Gilbert
• Tim Gilbert
• Kristie Lloyd
• Ortenzia Borre
• Rhiannon Elston
• Cheng Lei

Program presenters

• Rowan Dean
• Rita Panahi^[36]
• James Morrow^[37]
• Ross Greenwood
• Chris Kenny^[37][38]
• Peta Credlin^[39][40]
• Andrew Bolt
• Paul Murray
• Jack Houghton
• Jenna Clarke
• James Macpherson
• Sharri Markson
• Laura Jayes
• Kieran Gilbert
• Cheng Lei
• Danica Di Giorgio
• Caroline Di Russo
• Gabriella Power

Reporters

• Julia Bradley, Caroline Marcus and Crystal Wu – Sydney
• Georgie Dickerson, Holly Stearnes and Jack Nyhof – Melbourne
• Trudy McIntosh, Cameron Reddin and Reuben Spargo – Canberra
• Kaiser Shields and Harry Clarke – Brisbane
• Lauren Forbes – Gold Coast
• Monique Van Der Heyden – Adelaide
• Ciara Hain – Perth
• Matt Cunningham – Darwin
• Aspen Blomfield – Hobart
• Jack Nyhof – Wellington, New Zealand
• Staś Butler – Taipei, Taiwan
• Annelise Nielsen – Washington DC, United States

Former presenters and reporters

Political alignment and views

Sky News Australia has an editorial policy that follows a conservative, right-wing bias. Many of the presenters also have openly pro-Israel views. Coverage is frequently critical of Australia's main progressive political parties, Labor and the Greens in addition to the Moderate Faction of Liberal Party,^[58] while being supportive of right-wing parties such as the Liberal-National Coalition (except for the Moderate Faction^[58] ) and One Nation.^[2][3] Presenter Paul Murray has stated that "Sky News at night is a Liberal echo chamber".^[59] Drawing a strong comparison to Fox News, the network began moving towards panel-based programming from 2010, with most of its highest profile prime time commentators being conservative.^[60][61] Hosts Andrew Bolt and Paul Murray have been compared to Fox News presenters Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity respectively.^[4]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Murdoch-owned outlets—including Sky News Australia commentators—dubbed Victoria premier Daniel Andrews a "dictator" for his local response. Andrews criticised the network in an interview, stating that "in Victoria, the haters hate and the rest vote Labor and that's fine by me. Call me what you want, what really matters is not that nonsense, that noise, that vitriol, that After Dark bullshit. That's all that it is – the worst of American politics imported into ours."^[62][63]

Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones frequently spread claims about the mental health of then-United States president Joe Biden, claiming he was unfit to be the president and suggesting he was suffering from dementia.^[64][65]

Misinformation and conspiracy theories

On 13 December 2020, Rowan Dean promoted the Great Reset conspiracy theory on Sky News Australia, claiming that "This Great Reset is as serious and dangerous a threat to our prosperity – to your prosperity and your freedom – as we have faced in decades".^[6]

As of February 2021, American far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones uses segments from Sky News Australia to back up his claims.^[6]

In July 2021, Alan Jones and Craig Kelly falsely claimed that United Kingdom data proved that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 would increase the likelihood of death due to COVID-19. The claim originated in The Daily Exposé, a British website known for promoting COVID-19 and anti-vaccine misinformation.^[66] The Daily Exposé's claim was debunked by the BBC, Full Fact and Reuters.^[67][68][69] Sky News Australia subsequently removed the broadcast and issued a correction on its website.^[66]

On 1 August 2021, YouTube barred Sky News Australia from uploading new content onto their channel for a week for breaking YouTube's rules on posting videos containing COVID-19 misinformation.^[70] Upon the channel's return to the platform, Sky News Australia published a piece titled "Uncancelled: Sky News Australia Set Free" wherein Digital Editor Jack Houghton claimed the channel's temporary banning was the result of Silicon Valley and left-wing media attempting to stifle free speech.^[71]

A 2022 analysis by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a British think tank, found that Sky News Australia was a major source for climate change misinformation. Sky News Australia rejected the findings of the analysis, saying that they would "continue to encourage debate" on climate change.^[72] In 2022, Sky News Australia promoted a now retracted journal article from the European Physical Journal that claimed to have found no evidence of climate change in two video segments. The two segments were viewed more than 500,000 times.^[73][74][75]

Ratings

The highest rating broadcast on Sky News Australia was an episode of Paul Murray Live on 26 June 2013 (following the 2013 Labor leadership spill), averaging 197,000 viewers across a special two-hour broadcast. The highest audience share Sky News Australia has achieved was during coverage of the 2009 Victorian bushfires.^[76]

On 15 December 2014 during the Sydney Lindt café siege, coverage of the unfolding incident took 16 of the 20 most watched programs on the Foxtel platform. The 7 pm (AEST) hour was the highest rated at 109,000 viewers.^[77] Sky News achieved a day time share of 2.6% (behind ABC News 24's 3.8%) and a primetime share of 1.5% (behind ABC News 24's 2.5%).^[78]

Sky News Live rated 56,000 viewers for early evening coverage of the 2015 Queensland state election, and 83,000 viewers for later coverage, beaten by ABC News 24's coverage which was watched by 195,000 viewers nationally.^[79] For its coverage of the failed Liberal leadership spill on 9 February 2015 between 9 am and 10 am, Sky News Live was the second most watched subscription channel and the coverage was the third most watched program of the day with 69,000 viewers.^[80]

Sky News Live reached a total audience of 700,000 viewers on 14 September 2015 (including simulcast on Sky News Business) during the 2015 Liberal leadership spill. It was the most watched subscription television channel for the evening and outrated all free-to-air television channels between 11 pm and midnight AEST.^[81] The highest rated hour of coverage was from 10pm, achieving 190,000 viewers, the second highest ratings since the 2013 Labor Party spill.^[82][83]

A March 2016 article in The Guardian Australia reported Sky News averages 12,000 national viewers between 6 pm and midnight, with a peak of 18,000 between 8 pm and 10 pm, although the report did not specify what days or dates this average refers to.^[84]

During the 2016 federal election, Sky News averaged 96,000 viewers, an increase of 46% from the 2013 election.^[85]

In July 2018, Sky News claimed to have achieved its highest ratings on record, with viewership up 9% overall and its weeknight primetime (6pm–11pm) viewership 25% higher on the same period last year, according to OzTAM figures.^[86][87]

In August 2018, coverage of the Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 2018 saw Sky News gain its highest Tuesday primetime audience ever with a 4.2% audience share. Speers, Credlin and Jones & Co all had their highest-rated episodes on record.^[88]

The Sky News 2022 Australian federal election debate had 415,000 viewers.

The Sky News 2025 Australian federal election debate had a viewership of 410,000.^[89]

Criticism

In August 2018, Sky News was heavily criticised for providing a platform to Blair Cottrell, leader of the far-right, Neo-Nazi organisation United Patriots Front in a one-to-one discussion about immigration on The Adam Giles Show. Sky News presenter Laura Jayes and ABC journalist David Speers were among those critical (both on-air and off-air) of his appearance on the programme due to the fact that he has expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and claimed to have manipulated women "using violence and terror."^[90][91] Sky News commentator and former Labor Party minister Craig Emerson resigned in protest after the interview was broadcast, stating that "My father fought Nazis in WWII and was interred in a German POW camp", and that the decision to give Cottrell a platform on Sky News was "another step in a journey to normalising racism & bigotry in our country".^[90] The activist group Sleeping Giants Oz called on advertisers to pull advertising campaigns off Sky News in the wake of the channel's interview with Cottrell.^[92][93]

Several high-profile figures have criticised Sky News, including former prime minister Kevin Rudd, who told a media inquiry in February 2021 that it was following the "template" of Fox News in becoming a "legitimising echo-chamber for this increasingly far-right, extremist worldview".^[94] In December 2023, former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, who was a frequent target of scorn from Sky News pundits during his premiership, referred to the channel's prime time coverage as "bullshit" and "the worst of American politics imported into ours".^[95]

Accolades

Sky News social media

The popularity of Sky News Australia's YouTube channel has grown rapidly compared with other news outlets. At one point it ranked among the top 10 most-watched news channels in the world on YouTube^[107], surpassing the BBC and Sky News UK in total video views. This growth has been driven by opinion-led segments that attract international audiences, especially in the United States.

On more than one occasion, Sky News Australia has had its social media accounts temporarily restricted or suspended for breaching platform rules on misinformation. For example, YouTube once suspended the network's account for a week over alleged COVID-19 misinformation.^[108]

Sky News Multiview

With the roll-out of Foxtel Digital, Sky News Australia launched the Sky News Active interactive news service based on the Sky News UK service with the same name. The service offered a choice of eight news screens, some with original content not seen on the main channel they vary depending on the days news or events and include the latest news, business, sport, showbiz and weather in text. Other features included interactive polling and the latest news headlines via text. On 15 November 2009 Sky News active re-launched with a new look as well as 5 additional local screens (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.^[109]

Sky News Now (mobile service)

Sky News Now was a mobile service available on Vodafone, Telstra and 3. It offered a wide variety of news in both video and text.^[110] As of 2015, the service was no longer available.

Sky News Alerts

Sky News Alerts is a SMS and MMS breaking news service available on all mobile phones inside Australia.^[111] Breaking news alerts are sent to a subscriber via SMS or MMS at a cost per message.^[112]

Qantas

In November 2014, Sky News Australia was contracted to provide Qantas with in-flight news bulletins replacing a longstanding contract with the Nine Network.^[113]

Radio and podcasting

In Australia, since June 2023, Sky News partners with Nova Entertainment to offer an audio simulcast of its television channel via the free Nova Player app (nationally) and DAB+ digital radio (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane only). Various programs podcasts including First Business, Market Day, Showbiz, Agenda, Australian News Week, Credlin and The Rita Panahi Show are also available on the app.^[114] Previously, it was on IHeartRadio from March 2020 until June 2023, as part of a deal with ARN.^[115]

Sky News Regional

Sky News Regional is a free-to-air version of Sky News Australia, which was launched on 2 September 2018 as Sky News on WIN. The channel features Sky News Australia and Fox Sports News programming, as well as the morning newscast Sky News Breakfast commissioned for this channel that also airs on Sky News Weather.^[116][117] The channel was originally established as part of a partnership with WIN Television.^[118][119] In 2021, WIN's contracts with both Network 10 and Sky News expired; with WIN returning to its previous Nine Network affiliation on 1 July 2021, and Sky News's contract expiring on 1 August 2021 (the allotments were, in turn, used for 9Life).^[119] Sky News reached a new agreement with Southern Cross Austereo to distribute the channel on their now Network 10-affiliated stations, now known as Sky News Regional.^[119][118]

In its first two weeks on the air, the channel averaged 10,000 viewers in primetime and 4,000 viewers in daytime, with Richo the highest rated program at 24,000 viewers.^[120]

The channel is available on digital channel 56 across Southern Cross Austereo's regional markets in Regional QLD, Southern NSW & ACT and Regional VIC, and on WIN digital channel 53 in Northern NSW and the Gold Coast.^[121] It is not available in Broken Hill/Spencer Gulf, Tasmania, Mildura, Darwin, Remote & Central Australia and Regional WA. WIN-owned stations in Mildura, Tasmania, and Regional Western Australia previously broadcast the channel until August 2021 when it switched to 9Life's feed. The channel was previously on WIN digital channels 83 and 85, prior to the rebrand as Sky News Regional on 1 August 2021.

Sky News Regional ended its broadcast on channel 53 in Griffith and South-East South Australia/Riverland on 30 June 2024 after an unsuccessful renewal of the affiliation agreement with WIN.^[122][123]

In July 2025, Sky News and Network 10 signed an agreement to continue airing Sky News Regional, following 10's acquisition of its affiliated stations in regional Queensland, Southern New South Wales, regional Victoria (formerly owned by Southern Cross Austereo) and Northern New South Wales (formerly owned by WIN Television).^[124]

Sky News Election Channel

In April 2016, Sky News Australia announced a temporary spin-off channel known as the Sky News Election Channel. The channel carried extended coverage of the Australian federal election, the United Kingdom referendum on remaining in the European Union, and United States presidential election, including coverage and programming from partners such as Sky News UK, ABC News (United States), CBS News, CNN, C-SPAN, and Fox News, as well as encore showings of Sky News Australia opinion programmes. The channel temporarily replaced A-PAC on Foxtel; A-PAC remained available on Sky News Multiview.^{[125][126][15]} It operated from 1 May 2016^[126] to 23 January 2017.^[127]

On 28 June 2024, the Sky News Election Channel was revived, focusing upon coverage of the 2024 United Kingdom general election, French legislative election, and United States presidential elections, and the 2025 Australian federal election. The channel once again replaced Sky News Extra on Foxtel.^[128]

Sky News Now

On 23 March 2023, the network launched a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel on Samsung TV Plus and LG TV Live Channels known as Sky News Now; the channel features highlighted content from Sky News, Sky News Weather Channel, and Sky News Extra.^[129][130]