Karl Stefanovic and Eddie McGuire Land New Weekly Show, The Long Weekend
A new multi-platform program titled The Long Weekend will debut on June 19, 2025, airing Fridays from midday to 3:00 PM AEST on ARN's Gold radio network, Nine's 9Now, Stan, and iHeartRadio.
Karl Stefanovic, co-host of Channel Nine's Today show, and former AFL executive Eddie McGuire have been hired by ARN Media to host the weekly program. The show will also be accompanied by a sports podcast series for iHeart, produced in collaboration with McGuire's media company.
Contract and Network Context
Stefanovic signed a one-year contract with Nine in December 2024. He launched a podcast in January 2025 focused on Australian politics, which has attracted over 7.9 million listeners and 49.5 million views across YouTube and Spotify in its first three months. Guests have included Kyle Sandilands, Pauline Hanson, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
ARN's hiring of Stefanovic and McGuire follows the network's loss of breakfast radio talent Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson amid a contract dispute. ARN reported a $22 million revenue loss as some advertisers withdrew following content on the now-cancelled Kyle and Jackie O Show. The network faces lawsuits from Sandilands and Henderson seeking compensation after ARN terminated their contracts.
ARN CEO Michael Stephenson, formerly Nine's chief sales officer, described the show as part of a strategy to distribute premium content across multiple platforms. Nine's managing director for streaming and broadcast, Amanda Laing, stated the show aligns with Nine's commitment to audio content and would not change McGuire or Stefanovic's existing commitments to Nine.
Nine has publicly stated that Stefanovic's involvement in the weekly radio program does not affect his role on the Today show. The network issued a statement saying, "Both Karl and Eddie's respective commitments with Nine remain unchanged."
Departure from Nine
Stefanovic concluded his employment at Nine Network on Friday, June 20, 2025. He had worked at Nine for approximately 25 years, including 21 years on the Today show. His departure followed controversy over an interview he conducted with UK activist Tommy Robinson on his independent podcast.
After the interview, Stefanovic withdrew from his scheduled co-hosting appearance on The Long Weekend with Eddie McGuire. McGuire hosted the show alone on that date. An ARN spokeswoman stated that Stefanovic's association with the company is limited to the weekly show, and his external media activities are undertaken in a personal capacity and do not represent ARN's views.
Replacement for Today Show
Nine is in the process of identifying a replacement for Stefanovic as co-host of the Today show. Media commentator Jo Casamento identified Tom Steinfort as her preferred candidate. Steinfort has been at Nine for nearly 20 years, currently co-presenting Nine News Melbourne and reporting for 60 Minutes. He filled in for Stefanovic during the week of June 16.
According to betting odds from Sportsbet, Charles Croucher is listed as the leading candidate at $1.83 odds, followed by Steinfort at $2.75. Other potential candidates mentioned include David Campbell, Rodger Corser, Joel Dry, Kris Kohler, Clint Stanaway, Felix von Hofe, Robert Irwin, Andy Lee, Chris Brown, and Piers Morgan.
Casamento also noted Michael Atkinson, who hosts Weekend Today, as a candidate not included in the betting odds. She stated that promoting an internal candidate would be less expensive and less risky than hiring an external star, and that Nine is expected to test several presenter combinations before making a final decision.