Channel Nine’s Today show suffers brutal ratings blow following Karl Stefanovic’s exit – as Seven’s Sunrise continues ratings blitz

Channel Nine’s Today has suffered a massive ratings dip as viewers abandon the show in droves, following Karl Stefanovic’s shock exit last week.

The grim figures show that the Nine breakfast program attracted only 265,000 earlier this week, well behind its chief competitor, Channel Seven’s Sunrise, which scored a much healthier 458,000 viewers.

It is a huge blow for the long-running Channel Nine breakfast show, which currently has veteran reporter Tom Steinfort as a fill-in co-host alongside Sarah Abo, as the network scrambles to find a permanent replacement for Stefanovic. 

In addition to Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington’s Sunrise being the ratings winner, Seven’s The Morning Show, co-hosted by Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies, also beat out Today, scoring an impressive 303,000 viewers.

The only morning show Today managed to beat was the ABC’s News Breakfast, which scored 210,000 viewers.

Sunrise has consistently outrated Today over the past two years – but with Stefanovic’s recent exit from the show the gap has only grown wider.

In August 2024, it was reported that Sunrise averaged a national audience of 389,100 in the calendar year, while Today managed a Total TV audience of 325,300 over the same period.

However, the latest figures show Seven’s program has seen a 16 per cent increase in viewership over the past two years, while Today’s has shrunk by almost 20 per cent across the same timeline.

It comes after the flagship Channel Nine program was criticised over how it handled Karl Stefanovic‘s exit from the Today show last week following his controversial interview with far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

Insiders have warned that Nine’s ‘atrocious’ handling of the matter – in which Stefanovic’s replacement has still not been announced – has given a huge advantage to one of Today’s major competitors, Channel Seven’s Sunrise.

One veteran television insider said it was staggering that Nine had still failed to identify a credible successor. 

‘Today’s biggest problem is they’ve had years to come up with a succession plan… and simply haven’t done it,’ an industry insider told The Sunday Telegraph.

They added that another serious issue is that Nine’s list of potential replacements lacked the ‘It Factor’ to attract viewers. 

‘The current crop of contenders to replace Karl are too similar, they’re “of a type”; no one in the Nine stable is an enticing prospect for viewers,’ they said.

‘Look at what Sunrise has done – when Mel [Doyle] left, Sam [Armytage] was ready. When Sam left, Nat [Barr] took over seamlessly. When Kochie departed, Matt Shirvington was prepped, ready to take the throne.’ 

The insider added the Today show’s turmoil could only strengthen Seven’s grip on the ratings battle. 

‘Sunrise is enjoying its best viewer numbers in years. They’re on the up,’ they said.

‘The Today dramas are an own-goal that would simply be the icing on the cake and make them an even more trustworthy prospect with viewers.’

Meanwhile, another unnamed senior Australian television personality took a dig at Nine’s executives, claiming they had mismanaged both Stefanovic’s podcast side hustle and the breakdown of his long-running relationship with the network. 

Stefanovic, 51, may be freer than he anticipated, with new reports indicating he may not find a home at rival networks.

Both Channel Ten and Seven have privately ruled out the possibility of hiring Stefanovic, The Australian reported on Sunday.