ARN and Nine team up for Karl and Eddie’s new show

ARN has signed Karl Stefanovic and Eddie McGuire to launch The Long Weekend, a new weekly news, sport and entertainment format that will run across radio, streaming, podcast, social and video platforms.

The deal brings two of Australia’s most recognisable media figures into ARN at a pivotal moment for the business, as it looks to reset the narrative after the Kyle and Jackie O blow-up and push further into multi-platform entertainment.

The Long Weekend will launch on 19 June and air live on the GOLD Network nationally on Fridays from 12pm to 3pm. It will also be live streamed and available on demand through iHeart and distributed globally through the iHeart network.

Nine has also confirmed the show will stream as a vodcast on 9Now and Stan from Friday each week, under a multi-platform arrangement with ARN Media. The show will be available on 9Now and Stan within 24 hours of first going to air, with both platforms carrying it through to December 2026.

Both Stefanovic and McGuire’s respective commitments with Nine remain unchanged.

“Nine has a deep commitment to audio through podcasting and vodcasting and it makes perfect sense for two of Nine’s talent to have their new show streamed on their home network,” said Amanda Laing, managing director, streaming and broadcast at Nine.

“Karl and Eddie are great broadcasters and we look forward to showcasing The Long Weekend, adding to the expanding content available to our audiences on 9Now and Stan.”

ARN said the format will combine music, news, sport, entertainment, guests and opinion-led discussion, with Stefanovic and McGuire co-creating the show.

The announcement is a major play by ARN to push beyond traditional radio and position itself as a broader entertainment business built around audio, video, social content and live experiences.

“The Long Weekend is an excellent example of our strategy coming to life, premium audio and video content distributed across every platform, amplified on social and distributed across the globe on the iHeart Network. This is going to be brilliant,” said Michael Stephenson, CEO of ARN.

Kerri Elstub, chief content officer of ARN, said Stefanovic and McGuire bring major audience recognition and live broadcasting experience.

“I’ve known Karl for 20 years from his first day on Today. When big moments happen, there is no one better – he has a unique ability to relate to Australian audiences. Eddie needs no introduction. His influence and broadcasting prowess is legendary. I can’t wait to show you what they can do together,” Elstub said.

The show will be produced in partnership with JAM TV, McGuire’s production company. ARN and McGuire Media will also collaborate on a new sport-focused iHeart original podcast series for global distribution.

“This is a wonderful new chapter. Karl and I have been talking about working together for years, and to do it on this scale, nationally on GOLD, internationally on iHeart, on 9Now and Stan and with JAM TV as a production partner is a once in a career opportunity,” said McGuire.

“We’re going to bring our audience along to wherever the big news, sport and entertainment is happening, with great music in between. Karl is one of my closest mates in the industry. Now we get to do this together. Off we go.”

Stefanovic said radio had long been an ambition.

“Since I was born, I’ve been a student of radio and announcers. The intimacy of the medium is powerful. Working with Eddie makes it even more exciting for me. We’ve been friends for a long time. We are both ready to disrupt the status quo and let me tell you, we’ll have plenty of fun along the way. God, don’t we all need that. ARN have given us this opportunity, now watch us go and have a proper crack,” said Stefanovic.

The move follows months of turbulence for ARN after the collapse of The Kyle and Jackie O Show, giving the network a fresh marquee format built around established personalities, cross-platform distribution and broader entertainment programming.

With GOLD, iHeart, 9Now, Stan, social and global podcast distribution in the mix, ARN is betting The Long Weekend can travel beyond a single radio slot and help shift its centre of gravity from radio network to entertainment network.