Just 24 hours after ChannelNews exclusively revealed that the struggling Ten Network is being shopped around, the Paramount Skydance owned broadcaster has moved to axe its flagship news program 10 News+, after spending millions in a desperate bid to compete with the Seven and Nine network news services.

The current affairs program, fronted by experienced news presenters Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace, was launched to fill the hole left by The Project, the network’s long-running hit that was dumped last year in a previous round of cost cutting after 16 years on air with the network looking for cost saving in an effort to bolster the overal position of the network for a potential buyer.

Sale Talks Heat Up

US insiders have admitted to ChannelNews that Paramount Skydance is open to a sale of Ten as it slashes costs globally ahead of its proposed merger with Warner Bros Discovery, with a major streaming-linked network currently running the ruler over the business.

A deal would hand that streamer the ability to bid for both free-to-air and streamed sports rights in Australia. An alternative option under discussion is a joint sports-rights bidding arrangement.

Denham Hitchcock right and Amelia Brace left.

Paramount management conceded at CES 2026 in January that they would consider selling the Australian network, and the global sell-off is already well underway. Telefe in Argentina and Chilevision, sold to Vytal Group in January, were both tagged “non-core”, while MTV music channels have been shut down across Australia, Europe and South America.

Roughly 4,200 staff have gone globally in 12 months as the company strips A$2.8 billion in costs.

One complication: a US federal judge overnight temporarily blocked the US$110 billion Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros Discovery merger following a suit from 12 states over competition concerns.

Hundreds Of Jobs On The Line

The Australian reported this week that Ten is poised to slash hundreds of jobs across national news, current affairs and sales, and is in advanced discussions to outsource production of its news bulletins to a rival outlet that would also sell ad spots across Ten’s channels.

The cull extends well beyond news. Ten confirmed last week that I’m A Celebrity won’t return in 2027, and over the past six months the “rested” list has grown to include The Amazing Race Australia, The Dog House Australia, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, House Hunters Australia and Bondi Rescue. “Rested” is the polite industry euphemism doing some very heavy lifting.

The Numbers Driving The Decision

OzTAM data shows Ten’s national audience down 20% year on year, with an alarming slide in news bulletin viewing.

The advertising market has fallen 12% over the past 12 months, worse than the 10% analysts had forecast, and Ten’s share of that shrinking pool has slipped from the 23% to 26% range in prior years to below 19%.

Regional coverage is also collapsing. From 1 July, WIN ceased free-to-air transmission of Channel 10, 10 Drama, 10 Comedy and Nickelodeon across Griffith, the Riverland and Mount Gambier amid mounting financial pressure, affecting roughly 90,000 to 100,000 viewers. That follows the earlier Mildura shutdown and ongoing questions over Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

Ten is now firmly positioned as the next “non-core” asset out the door, and the news-outsourcing talks suggest whatever survives may be a much thinner operation.