Sunrise host Matt Shirvington celebrates ratings success after joining breakfast show two years ago

Following in the footsteps of beloved breakfast TV host David Koch was always going to be a big ask.

But two years after joining Sunrise, Matt Shirvington has not only been embraced by viewers, he’s helped push ratings even higher alongside co-host Natalie Barr.

This week, Sunrise enjoyed a sizeable lead over its competitor Today, consistently beating them in a busy news week.

“It’s hard to believe it’s already been two years with Nat and the Sunrise team. We’re so grateful our viewers continue to choose to start their mornings with us — we never take that for granted,” Shirvington said.

Sunrise has averaged a national total TV audience of 415,000, up 7 per cent year-on-year, extending its lead over Today nationally.

It now attracts 30 per cent more viewers, compared to a 21 per cent lead at the same point in 2024.

“The transition from David Koch to Matt Shirvington has been seamless with Natalie Barr, which comes after years of him polishing his craft in sports and news,” TV Tonight’s David Knox said.

“Sunrise enjoys a massive lead over Today, this week by more than 100,000 in a week of major news events.

“That’s a headache for Nine, which knows that viewers are rusted-on and don’t make the switch lightly.”

The show continues to do well in WA, averaging a total TV audience of 41,000 in Perth, nearly three times higher than Today, which averages 14,000.

“We love our WA viewers, and with Nat, there’s always been that special connection to the west,” Shirvington said.

“We love getting over there for Telethon, and we’ll both be back again this year.”

The ratings race between Today and Sunrise, which have both seen line-up changes, has widened in recent years.

In 2023, Sarah Abo joined long-term host Karl Stefanovic as co-host of Today, replacing Allison Langdon who moved to A Current Affair.

Knox said recent missteps at Today had not helped the cause.

“I don’t think a recent visit to Dubai, broadcasting in the dead of night from a five-star resort did it any favours, especially when there were floods back home,” he said.