SBS Upfronts 2027: SBS goes deeper with bold documentaries, global drama and major events – SBS has unveiled its 2027 programming slate, led by provocative Australian documentaries, premium international drama, major live events and a milestone year for NITV.
The 2027 line-up carries the theme “go deeper”. It includes new commissions such as Ray Martin is Misinformed, Homeless 300, Bondi and the NITV co-commission 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback. It also includes Alone Australia season five and the major international drama acquisition Legacy of Spies.
For Australian viewers, the slate shows SBS leaning into the parts of its brand that separate it from other networks and global streamers. The broadcaster is backing local documentaries, multilingual stories, First Nations voices, international drama, cycling, football, Eurovision, food and global news. In addition, SBS On Demand remains central to how audiences will discover and catch up on the slate.
Documentaries Lead the Slate
SBS says its 2027 documentary line-up will explore the people, issues and questions shaping Australia. Ray Martin is Misinformed will examine artificial intelligence, misinformation, fake news and conspiracy theories. It asks why it is becoming harder for audiences to know what is true.
Bondi will chronicle the aftermath of the December 14 attack at Bondi Beach. The documentary will feature survivors, victims’ families, first responders and members of the community who helped in the aftermath.
Meanwhile, Homeless 300 will be hosted by Samuel Johnson. The series puts people and their stories at the centre of a format designed to challenge perceptions of homelessness.
Marc Fennell also fronts Meeting a Murderer: The Hilton Bomber. In the series, Fennell sits down with the man who says he was responsible for what is considered Australia’s first major terrorist attack.
Several returning titles also anchor the factual slate. Alone Australia moves to the Arctic Circle for a brutal winter fifth season. The Jury: Skeleton in the Garden, The Secret DNA of Us and Who Do You Think You Are? are also returning. Celeste Barber, Brendan Cowell, Shane Janek and Adam Liaw will appear in the new season of Who Do You Think You Are?
The NITV and SBS co-commission 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback will examine the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Warlpiri Luritja teenager Kumanjayi Walker by police officer Zachary Rolfe. It will look at the moments and questions behind a case that gripped Australia.
NITV Marks 20 Years
NITV will celebrate 20 years with First Nations stories across factual, drama, children’s programming and news. The line-up includes Search for the Snowy, which follows Tony Armstrong and Stephen Curry as they travel the Snowy River with Wiradjuri River guide Richard Swain.
Another new factual series, In Design, follows Georgia Birks as she meets Traditional Owners, architects, builders, artists and policymakers. Together, they explore how communities are rethinking the way we design and live.
Saltwater Cowboys follows Michael Wear and Indigenous startup Tidal Moon. The series looks at their work to revive Australia’s sea cucumber trade and restore Shark Bay’s seagrass.
In scripted storytelling, Proper Loved Up brings together five First Nations rom-coms. Wolfram, set in the same universe as Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country, features Deborah Mailman and young actors playing siblings searching for the truth about themselves and their family.
Little J & Big Cuz also returns for a fifth season. On the news side, NITV News, The Point and Living Black will continue in 2027.
International Drama and Movies
SBS’s international drama slate is headlined by Legacy of Spies. The eight-part espionage thriller is based on John le Carre’s novels and stars Matthew Macfadyen, Charlie Hunnam and Hugh Laurie.
The broader line-up includes new seasons of Blue Lights, Rogue Heroes, The Audacity, Code of Silence and Babylon Berlin. The fifth season of Babylon Berlin will be its final chapter.
SBS will also screen The Lowdown with Ethan Hawke, Tall Tales & Murder with Aidan Gillen, The Vampire Lestat with Sam Reid and Apollo Has Fallen.
For film lovers, the world movies slate includes Anora, Sing Sing, The Count of Monte Cristo, Maria, Queer and Australian drama Sweet Milk Lake.
New Australian Scripted Voices
SBS, NITV and Screen Australia’s Digital Originals initiative will deliver three new Australian scripted series. The titles are Mangrove Mansion, Pretty Deadly and Tantrum.
Mangrove Mansion follows Sunny and her fiance Alex after they commandeer her father’s houseboat. Pretty Deadly follows an Aboriginal nail tech juggling a new salon, community expectations and a supernatural power. Tantrum tracks a friendship turned life-altering feud after an anti-parent rant goes viral.
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Eurovision, Food and Sport
The Eurovision Song Contest returns to SBS in 2027, with the event heading to Bulgaria. This follows a strong 2026 result, when more than 3.27 million Australians tuned in. Mastermind will also return with Marc Fennell.
The food slate includes Minoli’s Spice Island, Family Dineasties with Kylie Kwong and Sydney Food Boy, Tucci in Italy, Rick Stein’s Australia and Inside Sydney Fish Market. In another milestone, The Cook Up will reach its 1,000th episode.
Sport remains a major part of the SBS offer. The broadcaster will deliver more than 850 hours of premium international cycling, including the men’s and women’s Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a Espana and major European Cycling Classics.
Beyond cycling, SBS will cover the Australian Championships in football, Dakar Rally, Sydney Marathon, Kooyong Classic, motorsport, ISU Figure Skating and World Gymnastics.
News, Data and Industry Announcements
SBS World News, the SBS News website, Insight, Dateline and The Feed will continue in 2027. SBS WorldWatch will also deliver international news programs in 38 languages from 49 broadcasters via SBS On Demand.
The broadcaster has also secured the exclusive Australian rights to the FIFA World Cup 2030. In addition, SBS announced outcomes-based measurement through SBS Data Lab, expanded partnerships across outdoor, creator and retail media, and an expanded Sustainability Challenge with Guardian Australia.
The Upfronts also included new research into the Booster Economy and an updated SBS Census Explorer. These announcements sit alongside SBS’s broader push to connect programming, audience insight and advertiser outcomes.
“SBS invites all Australians to see the world differently – sparking curiosity, challenging assumptions and deepening understanding of the people and communities around us,” SBS Managing Director Jane Palfreyman said.
“Creative ambition is at the heart of our 2027 slate – bold, provocative, and unmistakably SBS,” SBS Director of Television Kathryn Fink said.
For more SBS coverage, visit TV Central’s SBS section. View SBS programming and streaming information at SBS and SBS On Demand.
