10 is celebrating its biggest ever streaming year, with the network touting record digital audiences across entertainment, comedy and sport.
The first half results, released today by Paramount Australia, provide plenty of positives for the broadcaster, while also offering a broader snapshot of how audiences continue to shift their viewing habits and where the network’s next challenges are likely to emerge.
The broadcaster says 10 Streaming is up 34 per cent year on year, now reaching 3.4 million Australians each month, with MasterChef Australia, Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Cheap Seats, Gogglebox, Taskmaster and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! all delivering their biggest streaming audiences to date.
The release also points to strong sporting performances from the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 and A-Leagues as key contributors to its record digital performance.
While streaming continues to grow, it’s likely much of that increase reflects the broader migration of viewers from scheduled linear television to connected TVs, catch up viewing and on demand consumption.
In other words, not every streaming viewer may be new to Network 10, with much of the growth likely coming from existing audiences choosing to watch the same content differently, a trend affecting all FTA broadcasters.
That arguably makes total audience growth a more useful measure of overall performance. While several of 10’s biggest entertainment brands improved year on year, those gains were generally more modest than the headline streaming figures, suggesting digital growth is continuing to offset declines in traditional broadcast viewing rather than dramatically expanding overall audiences.
The release also stops short of placing those streaming gains into the broader competitive landscape. Unlike similar audience updates from Seven and Nine, Paramount did not include comparative market share data or broader BVOD comparisons, making it difficult to assess how 10 Streaming’s growth compares across Australia’s free streaming market.
While the platform continues to grow, 10 Streaming remains behind commercial rivals 7plus and 9Now in overall scale, with both services having spent years building larger audiences and content libraries across news, sport and entertainment.
Comedy and entertainment continue to be among Network 10’s clearest strengths. Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Cheap Seats and Gogglebox all posted record streaming performances, while MasterChef Australia recorded its biggest total audience since 2022, reinforcing the genres that continue to resonate most strongly with audiences.
Tamara Simoneau, VP Content, Paramount Australia, said the results reflected the network’s focus on delivering programming that connects with Australian audiences across entertainment, comedy and sport.
“These shows are entwined into the lives and weekly rhythm of fans and that’s a privilege we don’t take lightly.”
Elsewhere, the picture is more nuanced. Australian Survivor: Redemption marked David Genat’s first season as host following Jonathan LaPaglia’s departure and delivered record streaming for the franchise, although its average national total audience remained below Brains V Brawn II, suggesting the increase in digital viewing did not fully offsetlower linear audiences than the previous season.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!‘s 2026 season enjoyed its biggest audience since 2024 and record streaming figures, but the prerecorded season struggled to maintain its early momentum, with the finale ultimately fizzling in the ratings.
The show’s future has also shifted, with TV Blackbox first revealing, and the network later confirming, that it will not return in 2027 as the broadcaster continues to weigh investment across some of its most expensive entertainment franchises.
Sport also remains a mixed proposition. The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and AFC Women’s Asian Cup delivered major event audiences, while Paramount highlighted a combined reach of 4.4 million viewers across the A-League competitions. However, with the new season set to feature fewer matches on FTA and most coverage again scheduled for multichannels, growing the code’s mainstream reach remains an ongoing challenge.
There are also notable omissions from the release. Although 10 News+ marks its first anniversary this week, Paramount did not provide standalone audience figures for the program or indicate whether it has strengthened the competitive 6pm timeslot. Instead, the network highlighted combined news reach, alongside growth for 10’s Late News and streaming across its wider news offering.
Attention is now turning to the second half of the year, with the schedule still taking shape. The Traitors arrives in August, while Big Brother returns later this year following its successful revival in 2025. Network 10 has also recently unveiled Parents’ Evening with Shaun Micallef, opened casting for a new run of Wheel of Fortune and, as TV Blackbox already reported, has already taped a series of Deal or No Deal jackpot specials.
The evolving slate points to a measured commissioning strategy, with established brands and lower cost formats sitting alongside the network’s biggest returning franchises. At the same time, the longer term future of some larger scale productions remains less certain, with The Amazing Race Australia notably absent from the current schedule and Ghosts Australia still awaiting word on a second season despite its recent sale to the BBC.
Streaming may be driving much of the network’s current momentum, but as viewing habits continue to evolve, the challenge for every broadcaster remains converting digital growth into broader competitive gains.
Wake up channel 10 Get rid of that pathetic judge Poh She is an absolute joke
Oh watch out Netflix, 10 streaming is coming for your market share. Don’t make me laugh.
7plus only has around 3 to 4% of streaming market share and if 10 is behind that figure then it really is a miniscule gain and one that most advertisers would certainly not notice less be impressed by. Though I guess when you start at the basement and climb a couple of stairs it’s still an improvement. Right advertisers, right!