Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo are set to negotiate their next Nine contracts as a team, according to a Mediaweek source.
The comment comes in response to a Sunday Confidential report claiming Abo has hired celebrity accountant Anthony Bell to handle her contract talks following weeks of speculation about her future in the “Today” chair.
“Sarah’s hired Bell, and Bell and Karlos are good mates,” the source told Mediaweek. “It’s obvious then that Karl and Sarah will go into negotiations as a team.”
Another source confirmed the suggestion adding that “Karl is fiercely loyal”.
The move marks a first for Abo, who’s gone her entire 15-year career without formal representation. Bell, a high-profile accountant with long-standing links to the media industry, is close friends with Stefanovic and has handled major negotiations for several Australian personalities.
Rumours surrounding Abo’s role have circulated for weeks, with whispers that her position could be eyed by “The Golden Bachelor” host Samantha Armytage, who joined Nine at the end of 2024.
Armytage’s “Golden Bachelor” debut earlier this month drew 749,000 national viewers, falling short of Seven’s “My Kitchen Rules,” which attracted 1.03 million viewers, a result that’s added context to Nine’s programming strategy.
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As Mediaweek’s source observed, any reshuffle at “Today” would come at a critical moment for the network’s wider schedule and morning market performance.
If there were to be a change of guard, it would be the seventh since Stefanovic first joined “Today” in 2005.
Over the years, the co-host seat has been filled by Tracey Grimshaw, Jessica Rowe, Sarah Murdoch, Kellie Connolly, Lisa Wilkinson, Georgie Gardner and Allison Langdon.
“The optics for the network would be terrible,” the source added, suggesting any sudden move could risk destabilising a flagship brand already under audience scrutiny.