The ABC has announced a major 2026 content slate focused on ambitious, deeply local Australian storytelling. The reveal followed Hugh Marks’ National Press Club address defending the broadcaster’s civic importance, digital strength and independence. With more than 100 new and returning titles, the ABC aims to unite audiences across platforms, regions and generations.
The ABC signalled a renewed commitment to Australian stories and public broadcasting’s civic role as it unveiled its expansive 2026 content slate, arriving just a day after managing director Hugh Marks delivered a spirited defence of the national broadcaster at the National Press Club. The timing underscored what has become a central message from Aunty’s leadership: in an era of fragmentation, political volatility and profound shifts in media consumption, the ABC intends not only to hold its ground but to expand its influence through deeply local, ambitious storytelling.
At the Press Club, Marks cut through the noise that has surrounded the broadcaster in recent years. He acknowledged candidly that the ABC, like every media organisation, is grappling with structural, financial and editorial challenges. “There are issues we still need to fix,” he admitted, in a departure from the often defensive tone adopted by public broadcasters globally. But he was equally forceful in his assertion that the ABC remains indispensable to Australia’s democratic and cultural fabric. “Any discussion about Australia’s long-term success must include the ABC,” he said, echoing the broadcaster’s historic mission while framing it in modern, forward-looking terms.
His speech was anchored in a defence of public broadcasting both as a civic responsibility and as national infrastructure. “We are not beholden to political patronage or commercial investment or touchy advertisers,” Marks said, framing the ABC as a rare space insulated from the market forces shaping much of the media landscape. “We are a gathering place. A town square. A home for stories that help Australians understand who we are.” It was a pointed reminder of the ABC’s charter and an implicit rebuke of critics who accuse the broadcaster of drifting from its core purpose. To them, Marks had just one line: “Some people like to run this narrative that the ABC is in decline. They’re wrong.”
Twenty-four hours later, those words found their practical expression as the ABC hosted its 2026 Upfront at its Ultimo headquarters in Sydney. Here, Marks again positioned the broadcaster as the nation’s definitive storyteller, declaring, “The ABC is the home of Australian storytelling, and our 2026 slate takes that legacy to the next level.” The event showcased more than 100 new and returning titles, spanning drama, documentary, comedy, children’s programming, news, factual entertainment and emerging digital content. It was one of the broadcaster’s most wide-ranging slates in years, designed to reach audiences wherever they are—broadcast, streaming, digital, podcast or social platforms.
Marks highlighted the creative firepower behind the new slate, emphasising that the ABC’s pool of talent—writers, directors, journalists, producers and presenters—remains one of its greatest assets. “Today’s announcements… showcase the creativity and ambition that define the ABC,” he said. For a broadcaster repeatedly accused of being under-resourced, the breadth of the slate signalled that it is not backing away from its long-standing mandate to reflect Australian life in all its forms.
The network’s growing digital strength, a recurring theme in Marks’ Press Club address, also served as a backbone for the Upfront presentation. Marks noted that the ABC’s digital platforms are now among the most trusted and widely consumed in the country, particularly in news, children’s content and podcasting. He pointed to the sustained performance of dramas such as Fisk, which continue to draw multimillion-viewing audiences long after their initial broadcast thanks to long-tail streaming behaviour. These examples, he argued, demonstrate that evaluation of public broadcasting cannot hinge on overnight ratings alone. “In a multi-platform world,” he said, “overnight ratings capture only a fraction of the real picture.”
To Marks, the ABC’s role increasingly blends journalism, cultural storytelling, education and national cohesion. Its 2026 slate aims to bolster that mission with stories rooted in local experience—regional voices, First Nations storytelling, emerging creators and projects tied to contemporary Australian social and political realities. Although the full slate details were not publicly disclosed in the Upfront announcement, the emphasis unmistakably fell on content that deepens the broadcaster’s relationship with Australians across geography and culture. Several new factual series and returning drama titles were highlighted as exemplars of the ABC’s push to create narratives that resonate beyond metropolitan centres, fostering a sense of shared experience in a country marked by vast distances and diverse communities.
Marks’ remarks about the ABC as “national infrastructure” were echoed throughout the event. The broadcaster’s executives stressed that public broadcasting is not simply about balancing a schedule or chasing ratings; it is about maintaining a platform that can reach Australians at scale and with purpose, particularly during times of crisis. The pandemic, natural disasters and geopolitical shifts have all reasserted the need for trusted, independent information sources. The ABC’s 2026 slate aims to continue that work while expanding into cultural areas that reflect the everyday lives of citizens.
The Upfront also hinted at a strategic focus on strengthening the ABC’s position among younger audiences, particularly digital-first viewers who engage more through the ABC app, iview and social platforms than through linear television. Marks referenced the broadcaster’s momentum in children’s programming, which has long been a cornerstone of its public value proposition. Its kids’ content consistently performs well both on broadcast and online, making it a key driver of long-term audience loyalty. Podcasts, too, remain a fast-growing segment, with the ABC continuing to invest in original audio storytelling that explores current affairs, culture and lived experiences through an Australian lens.
Underlying all these initiatives is a persistent tension within the Australian media landscape: the question of how public broadcasters should adapt while retaining their independence and relevance. Marks’ dual-message week—first at the Press Club, then at the Upfront—was intended to reassure audiences, policymakers and artists alike that the ABC is committed to evolution without abandoning its foundational principles. The broadcaster’s strategy appears rooted in a belief that deepening Australian storytelling, rather than chasing international trends or formats, is the most effective way to maintain trust and relevance.
His remarks also implicitly challenged both political and commercial pressures, reinforcing the ABC’s position as an institution that serves the public interest rather than private or partisan agendas. This messaging lands at a time when public broadcasting around the world faces a crisis of legitimacy, funding threats and audience fragmentation. In this context, the ABC’s expansive 2026 slate becomes both a programming plan and a statement of intent: a declaration that Australian stories still matter, and that public media has a vital role in telling them.
As the Upfront concluded, the mood inside Ultimo was one of confidence rather than defensiveness. The broadcaster’s leadership projected a sense of purpose: to reflect the country back to itself, with stories defined by creativity, integrity and a commitment to public service. The 2026 slate, sprawling in scale and ambition, is designed to do exactly that—binding Australians “across geography, culture and politics,” as Marks put it. For the ABC, the message was clear: the future of Australian storytelling remains emphatically, unapologetically local, and it begins now.
