From takeovers and sales to mergers and disputes, 2026 is lining up to be quite the year for the media world.
We might just start seeing some of the biggest changes in New Zealand media ownership in decades – well, that’s according to the Herald’s Media Insider Shayne Currie.
Last year, Currie predicted that at least one major media platform would close, a very high-profile TV broadcaster would leave their position, and that an “interesting new shareholder” would emerge at NZME – which all came true.
But what has he foreseen as he peers into his crystal ball ahead of this year?
Currie told The Front Page he sees new talent, platforms and more collaboration.
“In my predictions for the year ahead, I’ve said just about all of the big six media companies are ripe for potential takeover, new owners or new shareholders.
“A lot of analysts and media commentators such as myself do see Sky TV as being undervalued. It’s obviously had a big 12 months with the acquisition of Three from Warner Bros. Discovery. They acquired it in mid-2025 for $1.
“So I suspect we’ll see a lot of operational change there in the next few months and a lot of investor interest. It’s publicly listed at the moment on the NZX, but lots of rumours that came to the fore in 2025 were that private equity would be interested.
“At the other end of the equation, but equally as ripe, is TVNZ. Now the National Government has said no asset sales this term, but as we get closer to the election, we may well see the National Party take it to the electorate and say that asset sales are part of the agenda.
“I suspect if that happens, that TVNZ will absolutely be amongst some of the contenders. There are a number of frameworks that exist for a future way that TVNZ is owned. One option is the Air New Zealand model, which at the moment is just over 50% government-owned, but also publicly listed,” he said.
A major battle to look out for this year, other than the 2026 general election, will be the ‘Battle for Breakfast’.
Mike Hosking’s breakfast show on Newstalk ZB consistently leads the country’s radio ratings. The station finished the year as New Zealand’s leading commercial radio station for the 17th year in a row.
This year will see the appointment of John Campbell as RNZ’s new Morning Report co-host, battling for the morning audience.
“Newstalk ZB has a very robust audience who are intensely loyal to Mike Hosking and the talent throughout the day ... RNZ has had its own struggles in the audio space, but will be confident and optimistic that the upticks that it’s seen in the recent surveys will continue, especially with John Campbell coming on board.
“I don’t think Campbell will steal too much audience from Newstalk ZB, but what we might see is a further uptick for RNZ in terms of audiences who might’ve been there previously and are curious about how he performs, especially in an election year,” he said.
Currie thinks the battle for audiences won’t just play out on traditional channels in 2026.
Herald Now, hosted by Ryan Bridge, is expanding its 7-9am offering with an earlier half-hour business show hosted by former TVNZ journalist and now Business Desk investigative reporter Garth Bray.
At the same time, it was revealed last month that TVNZ was also planning a new morning business show for this year.
Breakfast is already undergoing a major change with former TV3 political editor Tova O’Brien joining Chris Chang as co-host in 2026.
“In a big election year, it’s a masterful move by getting Tova O’Brien as the new Breakfast co-host. She will bring a new edge to that show for sure.
“She’s up against Ryan Bridge, a great interviewer as well. So, that’s a fascinating battle. But, it might not be a battle between 7am and 9am each morning. I think where the different audiences come in is through social media.
“The way those shows are sliced and diced, Herald Now for nzherald.co.nz and in the case of Breakfast for 1news.co.nz and TVNZ+.
“How they amplify that content and those interviews will be equally as important for them in terms of the ratings battle,” he said.
Read Media Insider for the full list of predictions, and just how many 2025 ones came to fruition.
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The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
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