SBS has handed almost everything viewers see and hear to a single executive. In a media release on 21 October, the public broadcaster named Kathryn Fink as Chief Content Officer, an expanded role that brings television, sport, audio and digital under one portfolio, with the streaming service SBS On Demand reporting into it.
The changes take effect immediately, SBS says, and come with two other senior promotions.
Who runs what
Fink’s portfolio covers Television and Online Content, Sport, National Indigenous Television (NITV), Audio and Language Content, Digital, and Marketing and Audiences. In other words, the schedule, the streaming app, the language services and the way SBS sells all of it to audiences now sit with the same person.
Matthew Hancock moves up from General Manager of Streaming and Digital Products to Director of Digital. SBS says he will lead digital audience growth, product development and platform strategy, including SBS On Demand. He joins the SBS Executive and reports to Fink.
The Director of Audio and Language Content and the Director of Marketing and Audiences also report to Fink, with a second reporting line to Managing Director Jane Palfreyman. SBS says recruitment is under way for a new Director of Audio and Language Content.
Stig Bell, Director of People and Culture since August 2017, becomes Chief People Officer, with a remit covering people and culture, inclusion, organisational capability and enterprise strategy.
The release does not say who will take on Fink’s previous role as Director of Television or Hancock’s former general manager post.
The people involved
Fink joined SBS as Director of Television in July 2022, after roles at the Walt Disney Company, Sky Italia and News Corp. SBS credits her with overseeing its coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the launch of Alone Australia.
Hancock joined SBS in 2016 and has run streaming and digital products since July 2024. He previously worked at Screen Producers Australia, Screen Australia and the Australian Film Commission.
In the release, Palfreyman said: “SBS tells stories that reflect our nation and connect Australians with one another and the wider world.” Fink said: “It’s a privilege to lead this work and continue delivering meaningful impact for communities across the country.” Hancock said: “SBS has long been a leader in digital transformation.”
Why it matters
The new structure follows a busy run for the broadcaster. SBS called The Airport Chaplain its biggest launch of 2026 in September, unveiled its 2027 slate on 1 September, and on 6 October invited audiences and communities to help shape the future of its language services. The restructure places the team responsible for SBS On Demand inside the content division, reporting to the same executive who oversees the programming it carries.
For more on SBS’s recent programming, see The Airport Chaplain Lands Everywhere. How much local content Australian streamers now have to commission is covered in Australia’s Streaming Quota, 10 Months In, and the ABC’s plans for next year in The ABC’s 2027 Slate, Sorted.
What it means for you
- SBS On Demand now has a dedicated Director of Digital on the SBS Executive, so changes to the app and its features will be driven from inside the content team.
- Programming decisions across SBS, NITV, sport and the language services now run through one Chief Content Officer.
- SBS has not announced any changes to its schedule or its 2027 slate as part of the restructure.
- SBS is recruiting a Director of Audio and Language Content, and has not yet said who follows Fink as Director of Television.
Sources
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