Rebecca Maddern to broaden role at 7NEWS Melbourne and replace Tim Watson as chief sports presenter

Channel 7 has confirmed that much-loved news presenter Rebecca Maddern will take on an expanded broadcasting role in 2025 with a new title of chief sports presenter.

The passionate AFL fan and respected journalist will replace Essendon great Tim Watson and host the nightly sport news alongside Peter Mitchell and Jane Bunn at 6pm, Mondays to Fridays.

As part of the seven-day-a-week AFL programming slate across Seven and 7plus for 2025 (announced last week), Maddern will also join the 7SPORT team in a pivotal role across Seven’s AFL coverage, as well as other sport portfolios and projects.

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“Our sports team is stacked with news breakers who are all terrific sports journos in their own right,” Maddern said.

“The 7NEWS sports department is fired up to bring viewers the very best in 2025.”

“I’m thrilled to be offered this opportunity. It brings my years of journalistic experience, broadcasting skills and love of sport all together. To work across 7NEWS and 7SPORT is quite the dream job.

“Sport is the fabric of Melbourne, it’s the unifying thread of the city. Coffee and sport make this town tick and luckily, I’m addicted to both.”

Seven Melbourne news director said: “There’s no-one more qualified than Rebecca to take on this key role at Seven. It’s the perfect person for the perfect role.”

And Seven’s head of sport Chris Jones said: “Bec is an incredibly talented broadcaster and will play a key role across many sport portfolios. She’s also a whole heap of fun and a superb teammate both on and off camera.

Rebecca Maddern is a regular host of the AFL’s ‘night of the night’, the Brownlow Medal. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

“We’re thrilled to give Bec a platform across 7SPORT to showcase what she does so well, and to be there to guide viewers through some of the magic sporting moments.”

With over two decades’ experience in television news and sport, the highly respected journalist and presenter has hosted some of Australia’s biggest sporting occasions, including the AFL’s Brownlow Medal, the Australian Open and Cricket World Cup.

Maddern will begin her new role in the New Year.

In the interim, she will continue to present Seven Melbourne’s afternoon news at 4pm, as well as co-anchor weekend editions of Melbourne’s 7NEWS alongside Mike Amor.

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