2026 TV Ratings

[Gizmo]

New season, new TV ratings thread.

Good ratings for the season opener.




2025 season opener ratings (Friday night, Thursday game postponed):

Swans/Hawks
Average 651,000 (BVOD 53,000)
Reach 2.036m

5 city ratings from mediaspy.



7 press release

Seven wins Thursday, AFL #1 program in all demos

• Seven #1 nationally in all demos
• National total TV audience share, 6.00pm to midnight: 43.2%
• National total TV audience share, 6.00am to midnight: 43.3%
• 7plus: soars 56% year-on-year
• Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football: #1 program in all demos, reaches 2.25 million
• 7NEWS: #1 news program, reaches 2.24 million
• Sunrise: #1 at breakfast, 37% more viewers than Today

Seven Network reaches 6.13 million Australians nationally.

7plus: #1 in streaming with a 47.7% commercial share; 42.1% commercial BVOD share; reach up 56% year-on-year.

Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football: #1 program in all people, 25 to 54s, 16 to 39s and grocery shoppers. National reach 2.25 million, national audience 780,000.

 

[Gizmo]

Considering it was a blowout and featured the Suns, the ratings were solid for Friday night footy's return.

 

[qlderlions]

Considering it was a blowout and featured the Suns, the ratings were solid for Friday night footy's return.

Agree. This is a great result. Considering it was also head to head with some of the biggest NRL clubs (think of equivalent of Collingwood playing Hawthorn), and the GC vs. Cats in overall numbers (including BVOD) was larger than Swans vs. Hawks from last year.

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[Gizmo]

Blues/Tigers
Average: 675k (BVOD 114k)
Reach: 1.875m

Not bad for two bottom 8 teams.

 

[Cmarsh]

Fair to say opening round, despite all the criticism, was a success from a tv audience standpoint.

 

[Gizmo]

Bombers/Hawks
Average: 557k (BVOD 96k)
Reach: 1.697m

Not great ratings, but not surprising due to the result.

 

[shammersting]

Essendon used to be a massive draw, last year they had low numbers especially by their standards. Granted an ordinary season...

 

[Strings]

Essendon used to be a massive draw, last year they had low numbers especially by their standards. Granted an ordinary season...

Haven't made it past week 1 finals in decades. Lots of fans found stuff to do other than watch.

 

[Gizmo]

Dees/Saints, Roos/Power & Suns/Eagles
Seven
Average: 297k (BVOD 40k)
Reach: 934k

Disappointing ratings considering how good the Dees/Saints game was.

Edit: there was also this:

SEVEN’S AFL: SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL - GAME 2

SEVEN

147,000

 

[le dominateur]

Dees/Saints, Roos/Power & Suns/Eagles
Seven
Average: 297k (BVOD 40k)
Reach: 934k

Disappointing ratings considering how good the Dees/Saints game was.

Edit: there was also this:

SEVEN’S AFL: SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL - GAME 2

SEVEN

147,000

Yep, rubbish ratings.
Demons/Saints was a belter.

 

[Gizmo]

Hawks/Swans
Seven
Average: 727k (BVOD 122k)
Reach: 2,118m

 

[Bjo187]

Hawks/Swans
Seven
Average: 727k (BVOD 122k)
Reach: 2,118m

Cracking 2 million is impressive it's amazing what happens when you put footy on the main channel in any of the 3 of the 4 biggest cities in Australia that usually don't get main channel coverage (Sydney, Brisbane and Perth).

Good numbers last night too pipping the NRL that was on in Australia's 3 biggest cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane) on the main channel compared to footy as usual only being on main in Melbourne and Adelaide.

 

[Cmarsh]

Cracking 2 million is impressive it's amazing what happens when you put footy on the main channel in any of the 3 of the 4 biggest cities in Australia that usually don't get main channel coverage (Sydney, Brisbane and Perth).

Good numbers last night too pipping the NRL that was on in Australia's 3 biggest cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane) on the main channel compared to footy as usual only being on main in Melbourne and Adelaide.

View attachment 2557323

Back on the main channel in Perth needs to be on the agenda for this AFL administration. So does getting back to live games on FTA on Saturdays and getting rid of 80's and 90's style delayed coverage.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Back on the main channel in Perth needs to be on the agenda for this AFL administration. So does getting back to live games on FTA on Saturdays and getting rid of 80's and 90's style delayed coverage.

That ship has sailed - Kayo/Foxtel takeup has always been historically lower in Adelaide and Perth than the rest of the country for this reason, and they're paying more of the TV deal this time round. C7 just see no value in it.

While I agree access to FTA and reinforcing national size is important, have to understand AFL is effectively subsidising that to the tune of millions of $ for that to happen. It's more of an issue that Sydney v Brisbane last week was on delay imo. Got to keep fan interest of those two teams strong because the drop-off will be worse when they're bad again.

 

[Gizmo]

Port/Bombers
Seven
Average: 353k (BVOD 45k)
Reach: 1.164m

 

[Prince Imperial]

Port/Bombers
Seven
Average: 353k (BVOD 45k)
Reach: 1.164m

Mediocre.

The AFL has got to stop giving so much national FTA coverage to perpetually poor performing clubs like Essendon and Carlton.

 

[Gizmo]

The AFL has got to stop giving so much national FTA coverage to perpetually poor performing clubs like Essendon and Carlton.

It looks like most of the Sunday afternoon FTA games for this season will be pretty average, so those kind of ratings will continue.

 

[Gizmo]

Cats/Crows
Seven
Average: 635k (BVOD 89k)
Reach: 1,762m

 

[The_Wookie]

Thursday #AuSport
#AFL
Cats/Crows
Margin: 8 points
Weather: "Wet & Wintry"
Attendance: 20,403 (50% capacity)
Thu Attend Ave: 45,758 (63% cap), -20% YoY

Seven: 635k (bvod 89K) Reach 1.762m
R3 2025: 561k (BVOD 37k) Reach 1.752m
Thu 2026 Ave: 704,000
Thu 2025 Ave (to Rd3): 632,000

#NRL
SeaEagles/Roosters
Margin: 17 points
Weather: Abominable
Attendance: 16,082 (90% capacity)
Thu Attend Ave: 21,171 (69% cap), +22% YoY

Nine: 693k (BVOD 158k) reach 1.442m
R4 2025: 650k (BVOD 99k) Reach 1.482m
Thu 2026 Ave: 703,000
Thu 2025 Ave (to Rd4): 678,000

Data: VOZ, Austadiums (@au_sport), @leagueunlimited

 

[The_Wookie]

big win for the NRL last night

Friday #AuSport
#AFL
Pies/Giants
Margin: 33 points
Crowd: 41,607 at Marvel Stadium (74% cap)
2026 Fri Crowd Ave: 45,509 (-25% YoY)

Seven 590k (BVOD 90k) Rch 1.952m (R3 2025: 649k)
Seven Fri YTD Ave: 604k, -6% YoY (2025: 646k)
Seven Thu/Fri YTD Ave: 654k +2% YoY (2025: 640k)

#NRL
Warriors/Tigers
Margin: 18 pts
Crowd: 24,246 2026
Early Fri Crowd Ave: 23,388 (+30% YoY)
2026 Warriors Ave: 23,808 (95% cap)
Warriors games 3/4 early fri matches)

Broncos/Dolphins
Margin: 14 points
Crowd: 45,882 at Suncorp (87% cap)
2026 Fri Night Crowd Ave: 42,404 (+56% YoY)

Nine 714k (BVOD 160k) Rch 1.528m (R4 2025: 583k)
2026 Nine Fri YTD Ave: 724k, +20% YoY (2025: 604k)
2026 Nine Thu/Fri YTD Ave: 722k,+13% YoY (2025: 641k)

#Socceroos
Aus/Cameroon
Crowd: 23,798 at Accor Stadium
Ten: 214k (BVOD 29k) Rch 666k

Data: @au_sport @leagueunlimited, http://afl.com.au, http://nrl.com, VOZ overnights

 

[Gizmo]

Seven 590k (BVOD 90k) Rch 1.952m (R3 2025: 649k)

That's what happens when you put GWS in prime time.

 

[Bjo187]

big win for the NRL last night

Friday #AuSport
#AFL
Pies/Giants
Margin: 33 points
Crowd: 41,607 at Marvel Stadium (74% cap)
2026 Fri Crowd Ave: 45,509 (-25% YoY)

Seven 590k (BVOD 90k) Rch 1.952m (R3 2025: 649k)
Seven Fri YTD Ave: 604k, -6% YoY (2025: 646k)
Seven Thu/Fri YTD Ave: 654k +2% YoY (2025: 640k)

#NRL
Warriors/Tigers
Margin: 18 pts
Crowd: 24,246 2026
Early Fri Crowd Ave: 23,388 (+30% YoY)
2026 Warriors Ave: 23,808 (95% cap)
Warriors games 3/4 early fri matches)

Broncos/Dolphins
Margin: 14 points
Crowd: 45,882 at Suncorp (87% cap)
2026 Fri Night Crowd Ave: 42,404 (+56% YoY)

Nine 714k (BVOD 160k) Rch 1.528m (R4 2025: 583k)
2026 Nine Fri YTD Ave: 724k, +20% YoY (2025: 604k)
2026 Nine Thu/Fri YTD Ave: 722k,+13% YoY (2025: 641k)

#Socceroos
Aus/Cameroon
Crowd: 23,798 at Accor Stadium
Ten: 214k (BVOD 29k) Rch 666k

Data: @au_sport @leagueunlimited, http://afl.com.au, http://nrl.com, VOZ overnights

What do you mean a big win? They had over 400,000 less people tuned into the game than the AFL .

Interesting I was crunching the numbers last night on how much these 35 minute quarters affect the average ratings and was looking at the covid season as a comparison. Now I know covid had lockdowns and no crowds, but the average viewers in that season were nearly double on Thursday and Friday night with the shorter quarters than they are this year and last. Where as NRL ratings around that time didn't really change much, coz the match time was the same. On another note the average winning margin is double what it was in the covid season (more blowouts due to longer games) and the amount of close games is only 10% now as compared to the covid season which was 40% of games being under 2 goals.

 

[Rob]

That's what happens when you put GWS in prime time.

AFL had half a million more viewers

I'd bet London to a brick that from 7:30 to 9:30 the AFL had a higher average audience

 

[Gizmo]

AFL had half a million more viewers

Advertisers care about average more than reach. And yes, 3 hour average vs 2 hour average when compared to Nrl, but when compared to last Friday night's AFL game, the average was 137k less.