TLDR
news.com.au reached 10.99 million Australians in September, passing ABC News by about 25,000 to become the country's most-read news site, Ipsos iris data shows. ABC News readers stayed longer: 39 minutes on average against 29 at news.com.au.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The new number one
News Corp's news.com.au was Australia's most-read news site in September, ending ABC News's run at the top. Ipsos iris put news.com.au's audience at 10.99 million, up 4.7% from 10.50 million in August, while ABC News fell 3.0% to 10.97 million.[1] The gap is about 25,000 people.[2] Mumbrella put the swing at roughly 340,000 readers lost by the ABC and about 500,000 gained by news.com.au.[3]
| Site | Australians reached (m) | Change on August |
|---|---|---|
| news.com.au | 10.99 | +4.7% |
| ABC News | 10.97 | -3.0% |
| nine.com.au | 8.74 | -2.9% |
| 7news.com.au | 7.30 | -7.7% |
| Guardian Australia | 6.96 | +3.4% |
| Sydney Morning Herald | 5.34 | -12.5% |
| Daily Mail Australia | 5.22 | -5.4% |
| bbc.com | 4.51 | -2.3% |
| Yahoo News | 4.47 | +6.2% |
| SBS News | 4.26 | -13.2% |
Source: Ipsos iris, September 2026, Australians 18+, via Mediaweek.
The ABC still holds attention
Reach is only half of it. ABC News readers spent 39 minutes on the site on average in September, up from 37 minutes. news.com.au readers spent 29 minutes, down from 33.[1] One site now has the most people; the other keeps them longer.
The fallers
SBS News had the steepest fall in the top ten, down 13.2% to 4.26 million, and the Sydney Morning Herald dropped 12.5% to 5.34 million. Guardian Australia (up 3.4%) and Yahoo News (up 6.2%) were the only others in the top ten to grow.[1] Across the market, 20.2 million Australians used a news website or app in September.[1]
These are month-on-month moves only. Ipsos changed its methodology in July, so the figures cannot be compared with last year.[3]
Why buyers will care
Ipsos iris is the measure advertisers and agencies use to buy digital audiences, and a 25,000 lead is the kind of number a sales team puts in a pitch deck. The ABC carries no advertising, so for News Corp the comparison that matters commercially is the commercial pack behind it: nine.com.au on 8.74 million and 7news.com.au on 7.30 million.[1] With a lead this thin, October's figures will show whether September was a turn or a blip.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Which news site had the biggest audience in Australia in September 2026?
Did ABC News lose readers?
Can September be compared with last year?
James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.
