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This is a special edition of INSIDE MEDIA covering 7’s annual event for media writers and advertisers.
WATCH: A video version of this article is available in the player above
It’s a big week here at Seven as the network holds its annual ‘Upfront’ event – a showcase of its 2025 programming line-up. It’s been rebranded this year and is called ‘7 Degrees’.
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The network has had a gangbuster year in terms of ratings so a lot of what you’ll see next year is pretty similar to this year – with some notable exceptions.
Here are the main headlines:
- Comedian Shaun Micallef is the first name announced for the new series of Dancing With The Stars.
- Stranded on Honeymoon Island is an extreme dating show where couples are matched by experts following a speed dating event, but they don’t know which partner has been chosen for them until they see them at the intimate commitment ceremony. Things then take an unexpected twist when they are dramatically abandoned on their own deserted tropical islands for ‘the adventure of a lifetime’.
Jim Jefferies will launch a new comedy show in 2025 called Jim Jefferies and Friends Credit: SWM- Jim Jefferies will head a new comedy show called Jim Jefferies And Friends. It will feature comedy legends Dave Hughes, Jimeoin, Arj Barker, Tommy Little, Nikki Osborne, Mel Buttle, Felicity Ward and many more. The PR guff says “this strictly adults-only affair will see Jim in rip-snorting form as master of ceremonies”.
- The Morning Show is being extended by 30 minutes and will now run until midday, with a new one-hour news bulletin to follow.
Dr Chris Brown will star in a new series called Once In A Lifetime Credit: SWM- Dr Chris Brown will star in a new series called Once In A Lifetime. It’s a global wildlife journey where Chris is joined by celebrity veterinary assistants including Mick Molloy, Amanda Keller, Kate Ritchie and Matt Preston.
- Working Class Man is a documentary based on Jimmy Barnes’ best-selling book.
Iconic Aussie band Mental As Anything will feature in a new documentary Credit: SWM- The story of an iconic Aussie band will feature in an “hilarious and moving documentary” called Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story.
There are some good ideas in there with Stranded on Honeymoon Island the standout. That’s the big new 7.30pm reality show and I’m sure the executives at Seven have high hopes for that one.
“Australian production is at the heart of everything we do. We spend more than $700 million across our three content pillars of news, sport and entertainment to deliver mass audience and reach every single day of the year,” says Seven Group Managing Director, Television, Angus Ross.
That’s a lot of money!
My Kitchen Rules is one of the many shows returning to 7 in 2025. Credit: Scott Ehler/SWMReturning shows include Farmer Wants A Wife, Australian Idol, My Kitchen Rules, The Voice, Dancing With The Stars, Home & Away, and the most successful new entertainment show in recent years, The 1% Club.
To find out more about Seven’s 2025 line-up, I spoke with Chief Content officer, Brook Hall, who told me 2025 is about consistency and building on the success of 2024.
“One thing I’d say this year has probably been our most consistent in a while.,” says Hall.
“We’ve probably been in a rebuilding stage back from probably the time we lost the tennis and coincided with, at that time MKR sort of fell over a little bit, but since that period we’ve obviously done a lot of new launches and I say this has been our most stable.”
That’s certainly true. While some media writers will find the lack of new announcements disappointing, viewers will appreciate their favourite shows returning and knowing what to expect, especially in a world full of content clutter.
It’s that consistency that has led to ratings growth across the Australian free to air TV sector, according to Hall:
“We’re going to have two years of audience growth and yes, both of our streaming and digital is growing across the world at a rapid rate and we’re no different here. Our streaming services for Seven Plus is growing at 40%. The whole market is booming. That is a no brainer. The thing that gets lost is that both seven Network and the nine network broadcast audience linear is having its second year of audience growth and of a total TV perspective. That’s an amazing story. “.
He’s right.
While many seem to write linear television off, big shows can still draw in two million viewers. Those are big numbers by any standard.
INSIDE MEDIA is published every Monday and Thursday.
Rob McKnight is the co-owner of TV Blackbox
English (US) ·