Public broadcasting enjoys a quiet win in the federal budget, with more than $1.6bn a year earmarked for the ABC and SBS by 2026-27. ABC funding edges higher than in the current financial year while SBS secures a smaller uplift as it still leans on advertising revenue.
Budget papers show the government will allocate $1.3bn to the ABC in 2026-27, which is $58m more than this financial year. That allocation is forecast to climb towards $1.4bn by the end of the decade under existing settings.
SBS is set to receive $367.3m in 2026-27, a rise of $7.3m on current funding, with taxpayer support projected to lift to $394m by decade’s close. SBS continues to pair this public contribution with commercial income from advertising.
Staff numbers barely move despite the extra money, with no major expansion plans at either broadcaster. The ABC’s average staffing level is expected to be 4454 next financial year, up slightly from 4413.
SBS’s workforce nudges down instead, from 1369 to 1363 on an average staffing basis. The funding increase is aimed at stability and cost pressures rather than a hiring surge or new structural push.
Longer-term certainty comes from the Albanese government’s five-year funding framework for both organisations, which took effect in May 2023. That arrangement runs through mid-2028, so any major changes to taxpayer backing are not scheduled before then.
Funding is locked in for several years, giving the broadcasters a clearer horizon as viewing habits keep shifting and digital competition intensifies.
