SBS spent over $500k on 2026 upfronts
The audience at SBS's expensive upfront at the Hordern Pavilion in September 2025
SBS spent over $750,000 on events during the first nine months of 2025, including over $500,000 on its upfront presentations to media and potential advertisers.
Representatives from the Special Broadcast Service were questioned via video conference in Senate estimates this week, where Victorian Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson grilled the executives about their lavish event spending.
SBS held 19 functions between the start of 2025 and September 25. The broadcaster spent $768,000 in total on these functions, which Henderson noted “is a substantial amount of money, particularly when you are funded by the taxpayer”, although she conceded SBS also raises “some commercial revenue.”
So basically they spent around a third of what 7, 9, Paramount, Amazon and YouTube each did on their fancy Upfronts?
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t the purpose of the upfronts to showcase the exciting events and programs that they will be launching for the year, for the main goal of getting agencies and advertisers excited to partner with them?
So, if these upfronts manage to bring in more ad revenue than $500k then technically it paid for itself, and in the scheme of things, $500k isn’t much when it comes to advertising.
These moronic Lib senators bang on about the likes of the ABC’s and SBSs cost to tax payers, and then get their back up when they dare to try and help fund themselves.
Well $350-$400M pa of taxpayers money to run the place PA is quite a lot of $. It’s the right thing to be accountable for ensuring its spent appropriately. I guess the attitude of some is free.