After a year of change across the audio landscape, ARN stepped into their inaugural Upfront at Sydney’s Star Casino with a clear identity and a slate that showed exactly where it intends to compete. Led by new chief executive Michael Stephenson — the former sales boss at Nine — the event brought the showbiz widely expected and exuded an unmistakable confidence.
The event marked ARN’s biggest repositioning to the market in years, with a series of announcements that cemented its shift from a traditional radio network to a modern entertainment business.
The expansion of Kyle & Jackie O into Perth aims to make KIIS a truly national network; the consolidation of radio stations around the country into the KIIS and GOLD superbrands is set to simplify buying and bolster reach; and the launch of iHeart Women’s Sports, created in partnership with Making The Call, positions ARN as an early leader in purpose-driven audio.
Other announcements included Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small joining KIIS with a new national night show, an expanded iHeart Originals lineup, the local debut of Ruby, iHeartMedia’s global branded podcast studio, and a stronger emphasis on data partnerships and integration tools designed to connect targeting and measurement across platforms.
View the full range of announcements, covering data, content, and live events, here.
Confidence For A Channel “In Dire Need”
Although ARN’s content strategy was ambitious, media buyers said the biggest takeaway was its confidence.
“I think we all expected that it was going to be big, and it was big,” said Simon Lawson, managing director at PHD. “It was a real injection of confidence into the audio category. I loved the reframing of the business away from radio to audio to entertainment. It was a really great event.”
Lawson said the tone reflected a media group that finally knows where it’s going. “There are so many touch points that they can deliver for a brand and for marketers. I think what they’re trying to get people to see is that they are more than what people think they are,” he added.
That perception was echoed by Sam Geer, managing director, media, at Accenture Song, who described the event as “refreshing” and long overdue. The audio category, he said, was “in dire need of something like this”.
“Yes, you could argue it was a copy of the TV upfront format, but I think this year it outdid them in terms of entertainment and energy,” he said.
While some said the event went on a bit too long, most said that the overarching theme of confidence came through in the delivery of the presentation.
For Taylor Fielding, CEO of TFM, the length of delivery was part of the appeal. “It was amazing,” he said. “They’re trying to compete and be an entertainment company, and it’s really clear that Michael Stephenson’s brought that from Nine. The mix between getting the talent here, hearing from the people in the big jobs, and understanding their strategy, it’s clear they’ve been planning for this for a long time”.
“The presenters weren’t all robots,” Geer said. “This year we’ve seen fully scripted panels and teleprompter snoozefests. ARN’s willingness to have talent speak freely on stage delivered a welcome juxtaposition and genuine personality. Love that they’re properly positioning themselves as an entertainment company and cross-platform offering”.
Elizabeth Baker, chief investment officer at Zenith, agreed that the presentation captured a company coming into its own. “It felt like the Upfronts evolved,” she said. “I loved the use of talent. It was such a smart move, and served as a reminder of how the listeners connect with them, and what a great environment is for our clients, brands”.
Baker said ARN’s broadening beyond audio showed a level of commercial maturity. The positioning away from just an audio company, to one that invests in all facets of entertainment – video, live and social – gives clients more opportunities to integrate more fully and target better with the tech announcements and data partnerships they’ve built.
“I think that audio is an incredibly strong channel for so many of our clients, having a broader ecosystem in social, in live events, in video, gives us so many more opportunities to integrate more fully, and target better with the tech announcements and the data partnerships and closing the loop”.
Confidence also ran through ARN’s data and technology messaging. Baker said the tech stack and targeting partnerships were a significant leap forward. “I think any data partnership that helps us target better and close the loop is critical,” she said. “That’s ultimately what we want, to measure what we’re doing beyond any media metrics. So bring it on.”
Fielding added that ARN had clearly listened to agency feedback, hailing its investment in the tech stack. “When we’re briefing networks, we want to be able to see that detail, and it’s great to see ARN deliver that.”
KIIS & GOLD: “A Real Game Changer”
Buyers were also quick to praise the simplification of ARN’s brand structure into KIIS and GOLD. Lawson called it smart, saying, “it adds scale to those brands and makes them easier to buy. It makes them easier to consider for media buyers and planners.”
Paige Wheaton, chief investment officer at Initiative, said the streamlined structure would reshape how agencies plan. “A consistency in brand is a really strong message to send to market,” she said. “It means we can do something in-show with talent and reach a national footprint. That’s a real game-changer”.
Fielding agreed, adding that the move would create clearer planning frameworks. “It makes it easier for us to understand the audiences under each one,” he said. “Having the similarities across all the states makes it easier for us to plan and buy. It also means the national radio shows can connect audiences better”.
The Perth expansion, which will see Kyle and Jackie O show head west, drew some of the strongest reactions of the event, with buyers calling it a “bold” market-defining move.
Geer said it was one of the clearest examples of ARN’s renewed confidence. “Committing to national shows in markets where local nuance has traditionally won is bold, which is why I like it.”
Buyers also praised ARN’s expansion into branded live entertainment, from Run Club Raves to Save Our Pub and Kiss on the Boat—evidence that it’s serious about building experiences designed for brands, not just audiences.
Geer said the tentpole strategy “gives advertisers clear opportunities to invest and ARN opportunities to grow yield”, while Baker described it as excellent commercial creativity: “Every time one was announced, I could see which client it would fit.”
Leading With Purpose
While entertainment was at the heart of the slate, buyers said ARN’s purpose-led play, the launch of iHeart Women’s Sports, was equally telling. “Women’s sport is a great play and much needed,” Geer said.
Wheaton said the initiative felt genuine and grounded in intent, but acknowledged that it is going to come with some challenges. “I love the ambition, but the biggest challenge will be getting the commercial support behind it to drive it,” she said.
Lawson, meanwhile, as the father of a 14-year-old daughter who plays netball, took the announcement really personally. “I thought the women’s sport initiative was really powerful,” he said.”I want her to continue participating in sports. So I think it’s a wonderful initiative, and I’m really supportive of it”.
By the time the lights came up, buyers agreed that ARN’s 2026 Upfront had reframed the conversation about what Australian audio can be. “It puts them in a really great spot for 2026,” Baker said.
“You’re seeing ARN as more than audio, with the number of touchpoints and opportunities where you can connect your brands. It sets them apart, it puts them in a bit of a league of their own.”
