Sports presenter James Bracey has emerged as a shock contender to succeed Karl Stefanovic. Today.
A source with knowledge of the developing situation told news.com.au NRL reporter Bracey has been formally approached by senior Nine executives who believe he has what it takes.
“More and more people see James Bracey as the answer to Nine,” the source explained.
The 41-year-old has a stellar reputation in the corridors of Nine and is a reliable presenter who has shown he can handle live television with ease.
“Not a single person, from the CEO to the cleaning lady, has a bad word to say about him,” the source added.
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It’s no secret that Nine needs to find new talent for its breakfast show as quickly as possible after unexpectedly losing both of its star presenters in recent weeks.
Stefanovic and Nine recently split following his podcast. The Karl Stefanovic Showcaused serious friction. Now Sarah Abo has also gone on early maternity leave for health reasons.
And bye Today may be beaten Sunrise it’s called a “cash cow” in the ratings because it punches above its weight when it comes to advertising revenue.
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Bracey has become a leader in the fight for Today’s show because he has such a good internal reputation at Nine.
Nine also appears to have taken note of Seven’s genius move of hiring sprinter Matt Shirvington as presenter. Sunrise.
“Seven proved with Shivington that you don’t need to hire a political correspondent and Bracey is an excellent presenter,” the source said.
What could complicate the deal is that the NRL and Nine Network have finally struck a record $5.3 billion broadcast deal, so there will be internal conversations about whether Bracey can balance his NRL coverage with his television duties. Today.
At this point, everyone wants a piece of Bracey.
The sports reporter had always been a contender to take over at Nine, but parting ways with Karl Stefanovic months earlier than planned put everything in jeopardy.
The succession plan had already been formulated, but now the process had to be accelerated and the leading name became Bracey’s trustworthy and likeable one.
It also helps that he doesn’t have a scandalous personal life. Outside of his on-air hosting duties, he keeps a low profile and is married with a young daughter.
The question remains who he will be paired with after Sarah Abo went on early maternity leave.
The main names being talked about are Sylvia Jeffreys, who is replacing Stefanovic and who, oddly enough, turns out to be Stefanovic’s sister-in-law, and Samantha Armytage, who Nine executives are obsessed with because she was such a success on Sunrise.