SBS 2027 Upfronts: Agency leaders deliver their verdict

SBS has fired the starting gun on the 2027 upfronts season, laying out a pitch that stretched well beyond what appears on the television screen. Alongside its familiar mix of distinctive drama, documentaries, food and sport, the broadcaster put multicultural audiences, partnerships and new ways for advertisers to reach consumers at the centre of its commercial proposition.

But what did the people actually holding the media plans make of it? Mediaweek spoke with some of the industry’s best and brightest to find out what landed, what caught their attention and, crucially, where they see opportunities for brands in 2027.

READ MORE: From couch to community to counter: SBS wants to be more than a broadcaster in 2027

Michael Kay, Managing Director, Havas Media

It was a polished, confident Upfront from SBS heading into 2027. 

Without the obvious boost of the World Cup in the schedule next year, it wasn’t surprising to see SBS lean into tried-and-tested programming across drama, food, sport and documentaries, with a strong commitment to locally produced content and some strong cast-led new show formats (Legacy of Spies and The Audacity). 

What SBS continues to do well is create something genuinely distinctive in the Australian market that reflects a culturally diverse Australia, operates in a highly trusted environment and, increasingly, shows brands how they can take ideas well beyond the traditional TV screen.

What I found particularly interesting was the shift in the conversation compared with previous years. It felt less about SBS fighting for a percentage share of the TV buy, or simply selling against a buying demographic, and more about a clear strategy and provocation: viewing multicultural audiences as a core growth strategy rather than an incremental addition to the schedule. It’s a fair challenge for advertisers and agencies to reflect on their current audience approach and media channel mix, and supported by data points on First Nations audiences as well as new research from the Booster Economy report ahead of the Census update next year.

SBS Connect and the multiple new brand partnerships really highlight SBS's storytelling capability and how agencies can build cultural platforms that connect clients to communities credibly. The partnerships with oOh!media, Fabulate and MCO help bring that proposition to life, because an idea can now move beyond SBS's own ecosystem into outdoor, creators and retail environments.

Justin Ladmore, Chief Media Officer, Enigma Media

Kicking off the upfronts season with a warm welcome, great energy and, for me, a pretty compelling reminder of why SBS remains such a distinctive media brand in Australia.

Full disclosure: I’m an SBS fan, so there’s probably some bias here. But judging by the reactions in the room, I wasn’t alone. The applause was genuine. “Distinctive, provocative and ambitious” were words SBS used, and what we saw largely lived up to that. Uniquely SBS really does sum them up.

It was also good to see SBS thinking beyond its own ecosystem, extending its stories and audiences through new partnerships with oOH! Media, MCO, and tapping into the important world of influencers through Fabulate. Exactly what those opportunities look like for advertisers wasn’t completely clear, but there was just enough to make us want to find out more.

Content-wise, drama remains strong, while SBS continues to lean into the hard-hitting documentaries that are, personally, my go-to. Bondi, Homeless 300, The Hilton Bomber and another season of Alone, this time in the Arctic Circle, all stood out.

NITV’s 20th anniversary next year was another important moment. The presentation left plenty of clients and agencies in the room asking why they aren't spending on the channel, given the important audience it reaches and the incremental reach it can add to a buy. Well done to Optus committing 3% of its consumer media spend to the channel.

And then there was Ray Martin introducing us to Ray-I, his AI alter ego, ahead of his new show Ray Martin is Misinformed. Equal parts fascinating and slightly unsettling. My only question is: when does Ray-I hit the App Store? I want one.

There was plenty for media planners to dig into, particularly the new research and data products coming out of the SBS Data Lab and the latest evolution of Census Explorer. Definitely one worth media planners checking out.

Great presenters and hype reels, excellent food, and a genuinely good vibe to kick off upfronts season.

My only real disappointment was not getting a selfie with Adam Liaw. Big fan.

Holly Langford, Senior Account Manager, This Is Flow

The SBS Upfront reinforced a clear focus on meaningful partnerships and purpose-led storytelling. It was exciting to see an even bigger emphasis on strategic collaborations for 2027, with integrations across partners including Fabulate, MCo, oOh!media and The Guardian, creating more opportunities for brands to connect with audiences in authentic ways.

SBS's ongoing commitment to Indigenous storytelling also stood out and remains a real point of difference for the network. SBS also made a strong investment in documentaries, reflecting its role in encouraging audiences to engage more deeply with important issues and diverse perspectives.

Sarah Keith, CEO, Involved Media