Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo tipped to negotiate as 'package deal' amid Today shake-up

A well-placed industry source has told Mediaweek it’s clear Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo intend to negotiate their next Nine contracts as a team.

The comment comes in response to a Sunday Confidential report claiming Abo has hired celebrity accountant Anthony Bell to handle her contract talks following weeks of speculation about her future in the Today chair.

“Sarah’s hired Bell, and Bell and Karlos are good mates,” the source told Mediaweek. “It’s obvious then that Karl and Sarah will go into negotiations as a team.”

Another source confirmed the suggestion adding that "Karl is fiercely loyal".

The move marks a first for Abo, who’s gone her entire 15-year career without formal representation. Bell, a high-profile accountant with long-standing links to the media industry, is close friends with Stefanovic and has handled major negotiations for several Australian personalities.

Rumours surrounding Abo’s role have circulated for weeks, with whispers that her position could be eyed by The Golden Bachelor host Samantha Armytage, who joined Nine at the end of 2024.

Ratings pressure raises stakes

Armytage’s Golden Bachelor debut earlier this month drew 749,000 national viewers, falling short of Seven’s My Kitchen Rules, which attracted 1.03 million viewers, a result that’s added context to Nine’s programming strategy.

As Mediaweek's source observed, any reshuffle at Today would come at a critical moment for the network’s wider schedule and morning market performance.

If there were to be a change of guard, it would be the seventh since Stefanovic first joined Today in 2005.

Over the years, the co-host seat has been filled by Tracey Grimshaw, Jessica Rowe, Sarah Murdoch, Kellie Connolly, Lisa Wilkinson, Georgie Gardner, and Allison Langdon.

“The optics for the network would be terrible,” the source added, suggesting any sudden move could risk destabilising a flagship brand already under audience scrutiny.

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