Australia’s highest-paid radio host, 2GB’s Ray Hadley, confirmed this morning that he has signed a contract with Nine that will extend his broadcasting career until the end of 2026.
During his show this morning the host confirmed the deal and said he’d only made the decision “last night”.
The Australian reported that the deal is one of the “richest deals in talkback radio history” and could be worth $9m over two-and-a-half years from the beginning of July.
The deal means Hadley, who has won every ratings survey since 2004 – 148 in a row – and is the founding member of The Continuous Call Team – now in its 37th year – will continue to host his Number 1 show, The Ray Hadley Morning Show.
Hadley will commentate at his 7th Olympic Games, when Paris stages the world’s biggest sporting event next year, and he will also notch up 100 State of Origin calls during 2025 – an unmatched record by any television or radio broadcaster.
There had been talks that Hadley would be retiring when his contract expires at the end of June last next year, but this morning the host told his listeners: “I decided last night to stick around here until December 2026….The matter is solved. I’m staying. And I’m happy to be staying.”
“After sitting down with Tom Malone (Nine’s radio boss) over an extended period, and then gaining the support of my wife Sophie, I decided to accept an offer to extend my current deal,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the next three years as much as I’ve enjoyed the past 22 years at 2GB. I’m also excited to be back at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 – my 7th Olympics – and again, I’ll be the lead commentator at the swimming and track and field (for Nine Radio).”
“My life balance is wonderful these days thanks to my wife, my children, my grandchildren and the management of Nine Radio.”
