Rebecca Maddern to step up as chief sports presenter at Seven in 2025

Rebecca Maddern has been officially appointed as Seven’s new chief sports presenter following Tim Watson’s retirement.

Rebecca Maddern will step up as Seven’s new chief sports reporter. Picture: Supplied/Channel 7

Respected newsreader Rebecca Maddern is kicking on into an expanded role with 7News in 2025 having been officially appointed as Seven’s chief sports presenter.

The newly created position will see the experienced reporter and presenter anchor the Seven Melbourne’s nightly sport report as well as take a pivotal role across Seven’s AFL coverage and other sporting properties.

Maddern has been presenting Seven’s weekend news alongside Mike Amor for the past two years and her sporting newsdesk pivot has been widely mooted.

With Tim Watson confirming he would retire as Seven Melbourne’s sports presenter on December 20, Maddern will present the weeknight sport’s report as of January.

Maddern is established as a respected newsreader. Picture: Josie Hayden

“I have always worked across both sport and news and in fact my very first job was in sport at Triple M when I was very, very junior,” Maddern said.

“This role is really a great fit for me. Sport gives you a chance to get out of the office a little bit more, travel, connect with sports fans, which I love, so the role is very appealing across the board. I am really looking forward to it.

“I have been fortunate to have many different roles across my career in media and I think every opportunity brings me that chance to be reinvigorated and bring all those years of experience to it.”

Maddern paid tribute to Watson whose retirement will end a more than 30 year chapter with Seven.

Maddern has been presenting Seven’s weekend news alongside Mike Amor for the past two years and her sporting newsdesk pivot has been widely mooted. Picture: Supplied/Channel 7

“Tim is a legend. It is a privilege to follow him, but I am really going to miss him. He is a dear friend,” she said.

Former ABC newsreader Karina Carvalho will join Amor on the newsdesk over the summer break, with Seven unwilling to confirm what position on the newsdesk she will have in 2025.

Seven’s Melbourne newsroom has been in a state of flux – some would say unsettled – for most of the year with a new Melbourne news director, new director of network sport, the addition of a comedy segment by Mark Humphries in the Friday night bulletin, the inclusion of a horoscope reading in the news service, the departure of star reporter Sharnelle Vella to ABC radio, the retirement of Watson, the hiring of Carvalho and speculation about Maddern talking on a new role.