Jane Palfreyman officially appointed SBS managing director after acting stint

SBS has officially appointed Jane Palfreyman as managing director, ending months of speculation around the broadcaster’s long-term leadership following her time in the acting role.

Palfreyman will take on the position for a five-year term effective immediately, after serving as acting managing director since August last year.

The appointment follows a competitive search process and comes at a critical period for SBS as the broadcaster balances digital growth, audience fragmentation and increasing pressure across Australia’s media landscape.

Before stepping into the acting MD role, Palfreyman served as SBS chief marketing and commercial officer, where she led the broadcaster’s commercial strategy, marketing and audience engagement operations.

SBS chair Nicholas Pappas said the board had strong confidence in Palfreyman’s ability to lead the organisation through a rapidly changing media environment.

“Jane brings a genuine belief in the role of trusted public media, combined with strong commercial acumen, and a clear understanding of what makes SBS distinctive,” Pappas said.

“She has consistently demonstrated how disciplined leadership and a focused strategy deliver impact and long-term sustainability.”

Palfreyman said her focus would centre on strengthening SBS’s long-term position while accelerating digital growth and deepening engagement with multilingual and First Nations audiences.

“As the needs of audiences continue to change, my focus is on strengthening the organisation for the long term, accelerating our digital growth and deepening our connection with all Australians,” she said.

The permanent appointment also signals continuity for SBS following a period of significant transformation across the broader Australian media sector, where public broadcasters, streamers and commercial networks are all competing for shifting audience attention and advertising revenue.

Importantly for marketers, Palfreyman’s elevation also leaves two influential commercial leadership roles open inside SBS, with the broadcaster now beginning recruitment for both a new chief commercial officer and director of marketing and audiences.

The moves come as SBS continues pushing deeper into streaming, digital video and multilingual audience engagement while maintaining its position as one of Australia’s most distinctive public broadcasters.