Regional Australians are set to lose access to Channel 10 services after WIN confirmed the closure of broadcasts in three key markets.
Regional broadcaster WIN Network will stop broadcasting Network 10 services in three regional television markets from mid-2026, a move set to further reduce the reach of 10’s free-to-air television services across Australia.
The decision will affect viewers in the Riverland and Mount Gambier regions of South Australia, along with the Griffith market in New South Wales, where WIN currently operates as an affiliate broadcaster for all three metropolitan commercial television networks.
A spokesperson for WIN Network confirmed the decision to TV Blackbox stating,
“As of the 30 June, 2026, WIN Network’s Program Supply Agreement with Network 10 for the Riverland, Mount Gambier and Griffith markets will end.
WIN has made the Communications Minister and the Department of Communications aware of this”
From 1 July 2026, WIN will cease free-to-air transmission of Channel 10, 10 Drama, 10 Comedy and Nickelodeon in the affected regions.
The closure follows ongoing financial pressures facing regional media outlets, with declining advertising revenue continuing to impact the economics of maintaining commercial services in smaller markets.
Broadcasting authorities have historically permitted WIN to carry affiliate agreements with all three commercial networks in these regions because of their relatively small population bases. However, WIN now believes it is no longer financially sustainable to continue broadcasting 10’s services in those areas.
The move mirrors a similar decision made in 2024, when broadcasts of Network 10 programming were withdrawn from the Mildura market.
The latest withdrawal is also likely to reignite debate over the future of free-to-air television access in regional Australia, particularly following the high-profile dispute between WIN Network and the Seven Network in 2025.
That standoff resulted in Seven programming being removed from screens in the same regions for two days after the parties failed to reach agreement on new affiliate terms. The blackout prompted political concern and intervention directly by the AFL amid fears regional Australians could lose access to major sporting events, news services and Australian programming.
During the dispute, federal politicians including Clare O’Neil and Bridget McKenzie publicly raised concerns about the impact on regional viewers, particularly in communities with limited internet connectivity.
Federal Barker MP Tony Pasin also argued at the time that streaming services could not fully replace traditional free-to-air broadcasting in regional Australia because internet coverage remained inconsistent in some areas.
Unlike Seven, however, Network 10 does not currently hold major national sporting rights that would be expected to trigger broader political or commercial pressure to restore the affected services.
Viewers in the impacted markets will still be able to access 10 programming through the network’s free streaming platform. However, previous regional broadcast closures have highlighted challenges for some viewers — particularly elderly audiences living in nursing homes and rural households with unreliable internet access — who continue to rely on traditional television transmission.
Note: TV Blackbox has approached the 10 Network for comment.
It is very sad to see the demise of Channel 10 in the Riverland, Mt Gambier (in Regional South Australia) along with the Griffith area and Murrumbidgee area in NSW. People who want to watch channel 10’s programs (live or catch-up) would have to jump on the 10.com.au website or download the app.
We saw what happened back nearly two years ago, when Channel 10 Mildura ceased operations due to continued financial losses.
Interesting that these are WIN Corp monopoly markets, but Mildura two years ago Ten was jointly owned by WIN and the former Seven West Media. But WIN and Southern Cross Seven also air Ten in Tas and regional WA together.
does WIN own 10 and 9 in those areas?
Matthew R Brawn I believe regional areas are only permitted 2 tv licences ie 7 and 9 so are only able to broadcast channel 10 and their content by agreements, obviously no longer viable to buy the rights to channel 10
Matthew R Brawn – No, WIN is a separate entity. It accesses content from Nine and Ten via syndication deals with each network.
The deal with Ten ends in June and will not be renewed, unless Ten comes up with more funding or takes action to make the arrangement more financially viable.
Country viewers will go back to the bad old days of having just two channels, one commercial plus ABC. In most regional areas you can forget streaming tv channels because the internet is so unreliable, and there’s not a lot of mobile coverage.
@Brett Atkins most regional areas have very unreliable internet, and poor mobile coverage. For example: just 5kms west of Parkes you lose mobile coverage, no reception until about 10kms east of Condobolin. What’s also not mentioned is that there’s the VAST system that’s available for areas like Condobolin and Griffith. Viewers can get that installed for a small fee and have access to most FTA channels. I think it’s operated by Network 10 on behalf of all broadcasters.
Trevor Young At least in those ‘Bad old days’ the one commercial channel had a variety of programs from all 3 city networks and even locally produced content. Aggregation destroyed Regional TV in my opinion.
Tim Coyle they pay SFA for spectrum and are given massive rebates by FedGov. Should be sold for added mobile broadband capacity.
AndrewConnor Interesting future transition to mobile or NBN broadband wifi and far remote areas can use starlink another option. Most people in the regional city use the internet stream services channels
Just watch it on 10play..
“Unlike Seven, however, Network 10 does not currently hold major national sporting rights that would be expected to trigger broader political or commercial pressure to restore the affected services.”
Network 10 has the free to air rights to the Australian F1 GP, Australian Moto GP and Socceroos and Matildas home internationals. Not as much anti-siphoning legislation sport as Seven has. Mildura viewers already miss out on these on free to air TV.
Ten might not have “major national sporting rights” with its contracts to air the Australian F1 GP, Australian Moto GP and Socceroos, but they certainly do with the Matildas home internationals. The federal government needs to step in, and ensure these important sporting events remain available on free-to-air television in all Australian communities, urban and rural.
Steve Friend not everyone can afford internet or has it in their area.
Donna Giles I’m pretty sure every mobile comes with data, hot spot it to the tv. If no service in the area, dont the government provide satellite internet at significantly reduced costs??
Steve Friend again,not everyone can afford a phone or data. Be sensible about this.
I guess they can still watch on 10 play app
Trevor Young starlink has fixed the slow unreliable internet. They did just up their prices though.
I am not surprised.
That idiot Bruce Gordon must be crying poor again
Brett Atkins the article states “Viewers in the impacted markets will still be able to access 10 programming through the network’s free streaming platform”
The boomers can’t be arsed learning about that stuff, so seemingly everybody has to suffer.
I reckon WIN will pull the pin in other markets that they have arrangements with 10 and are not financially sustainable.. Pushing people to online will make it hard for some people or impossible for those with inadequate internet services. Mind you, OTA TV will be a thing of the past in another 15 to 20 years.It will all be online..
WIN will own NBN TV soon. Will we see our local one hour news service vanish with the wonderful Rewind look back in local history segment vanish?
Will SCA take over like they did on the rest of the win network?
This comes as no surprise. In a country with 25 million people spread over a very wide area . In regional areas we one had the ABC and 1 commercial channel then someone had a bright idea to give regional areas the same range of channels as the cities. The was the beginning of the end. The cost of installing and operating additional transmitters meant that sooner or later there would be cuts to staff and local programming. Let’s not forget that the regions also got SBS tv as well. Now we have ABC, SBS and 3 commercial
Networks who all are running additional digital channels so that makes roughly 20 or more additional channels to choose from and there are a raft of streaming services to choose from as well. It should not be a surprise to anyone that at some point at least
One of these networks was going to fail. With all of this choice what we have is regurgitated reruns home shopping channels, reality TV crap and no local content in regional Australia. The answer has been staring TV executives in the face and they have been too stupid to realise what is about to hit them….. Reality. You need advertising dollars to run these operations and that is in very short supply.
There is an alternative, it is VAST, government subsidised retransmission of the fta services via satellite. The stupid thing is this, the VAST service requires an expensive satellite receiver and authorised smartcard in any different room needing tv. On top of that, the service is encrypted (scrambled) to stop normal watching. The broadcaster get special protection via scrambling it so people outside their broadcast area cannot get it. So my opinion is, if they are closing transmitters in regions, then make VAST free for anyone to watch, no encryption, and equipment is then just as cheap to buy. If services are closing, locking out people, then why should the broadcaster be getting that govt. protection to stop viewers accessing the channels via satellite, already govt funded as well?
Matt Browne channel 7 only got saved becuase of sport , channel 10 has no sport no there will be no government pressure
Steve Friend I live in a area when interest not great. Can’t load into to tv
Peter Longworth Hopefully not, it is a terrific news service.
Ben Zoffman agree 100%. The problem is there is no one hour local news service anywhere in WIN’s organisation
Brad Grace or VAST
Just as I put all my old VAST receivers for sale…this, as posted above, will be many people’s only alternative, if they cannot do iptv streams of fta.
Oh I wish these CEO’s were gutsy to do the same to city viewers, and see what they think…there would be bedlam, even when many on whirlpool, in other threads, say fta is dead anyway.
Back to VAST, as the option, our Federal Govt. needs to now drop the tv broadcaster protection policies on their “broadcast areas” via them using Irdeto encryption and smart cards to access the fta satellite retransmissions, and make the whole of VAST, unencrypted, so users can still access the same services fta offers elsewhere? All they need to do is change the broadcasters licence terms, simply with a pencil stroke. It is time the government took action.
Michael Kean….that also now means they are indirectly having to join the internet and pay about $75 pm to watch fta tv…..
How much travelling have you done to see just how patchy mobile signals are in the country. I only live 40 Km from Coffs Harbour, and our whole suburb has no local Telstra 4g services at all, let alone 5g. Hard to watch, unless you then go Starlink at about $75 per month, on their new announced price increase. A lot of money tho pay, to simply watch fta tv, everyone else gets for nothing. Rural users simply getting kicked in the teeth as usual, I think EDIT…no, Skymuster NBN is not cheap for the replacement either.
Justin Anthony 72 years old here and I understand…don’t paint the whole generation with the same brush hey? Maybe oldies could say the younger generation are “fools”, paying for fta services? Please, be fair.
How much longer can Ten itself last?
I think Ten still has a lot to offer with its primetime lineup (especially the post 8:30 programs) and its woefully underappreciated news department. But the network won’t last long if it can’t be viewed in regional areas. Urban areas aren’t likely going to be enough to keep the lights on.
Unfortunately, watching TV streaming through mbn connection is going to be the way of the future.
It won’t be long until all free to air TV will be online streaming only. They (broadcasters) love it, they know who’s watching and what they are watching and you can’t record and FF through the ads.
Benny Carpenter gonna be a lot of backlash to this one
This is just the start boomers, you’ve had 50 years to keep up with technology, 5 years from now id suspect boomers will be paying massive taxes and subscriber fees to access any technology and AI monopolised by millenials and Gen Z or just face being cut off completely.
10 peach since neighbours ended is better known as the land where old shows go to die.
It’s all on 10 play
No loss.
Should have left analog as it was
im scared for nbn
its not going the be that bad