Sunrise star Katie Brown steps back from breakfast TV role to return to sports commentary in major Channel Seven shake-up

Sunrise reporter Katie Brown is stepping away from her full-time role on the breakfast show as she sets her sights on a return to sports journalism, with the Channel Seven star expected to take on a hybrid role in 2027.

Katie, 33, has been a key member of Sunrise's ratings-dominating team since joining the program full-time in 2023, travelling across the country and overseas to cover major sporting events, entertainment and breaking news.

But the roving reporter is now understood to be keen to return to her sporting roots, with her current deal set to expire on December 31, according to The Daily Telegraph.

While she will no longer work full-time on Sunrise, Katie is expected to remain with Seven in a more flexible capacity, allowing her to pursue further opportunities in sports broadcasting.

The move marks a potential new chapter for Katie, who has built an impressive career covering rugby league before becoming a familiar face to breakfast television viewers.

Katie's sporting credentials extend beyond the sidelines. She previously played for South Sydney's NSWRL Women's Premiership side, where she won the players' player award in 2021.

She went on to establish herself in sports journalism, working across regional television networks before being recruited in 2021 to lead the NRL's website coverage.

Katie spent three years with the NRL before returning to television as a senior NRL journalist with Seven's Brisbane newsroom.

She has also hosted a show on SEN, further cementing her experience across sports media.

The upbeat presenter has already taken a step towards her next chapter, making her sideline debut in Perth last weekend as part of Seven's Rugby League World Cup coverage.

She is expected to feature throughout the tournament, with the assignment offering another opportunity to showcase her skills in sports reporting and presenting.

Her decision to scale back her Sunrise commitments comes as breakfast television's sports coverage undergoes other changes.

Danika Mason recently stepped away from presenting the sports desk on Nine's Today, with the reporter set to return to front the network's NRL coverage next season following maternity leave.

Katie's move signals a renewed focus on the sporting world that helped launch her career, while allowing her to remain part of Seven's broader television lineup.