NRL hits 2m attendees in record time, AFL passes 4m in the first 13 rounds

Also anyone who cares about the stadium stuff that went on around the Docklands and Aami Park builds should take a gander at this (from 2015)- its most instructive. vuir.vu.edu.au/33075/3/JOHN...

Chilly afteroon in Adelaide, so I wrote this. Essentially an updated version of an old footyindustry article. A stadium for Docklands? Thirty years on sportsindustryau.substack.com/p/a-stadium-...

Saturday #AuSportTV #AFL Swans/Tigers (NSW only) Lions/Dockers (QLD/WA only) Seven 299k (BVOD 32k (Reach 879k #Horseracing Seven 115k (BVOD 17k) Reach 644k #FrenchOpen Roland Garros - Late Nine 73k (BVOD 11k) Reach 488k Data: VOZ sportsindustryau.substack.com/p/live-afl-h...

Blues win gives Friday night to the AFL, makes it three in a row. #AuSportTV sportsindustryau.substack.com/p/blues-win-...

In 1984, I started a new school in Gladstone Park and was immediately lambasted for being a Blues fan by my new Essendon supporting teacher. Welcome to grade 4 kids. sportsindustryau.substack.com/p/its-about-...

[NRLW] Origin III hits big ratings, but series falls slightly year on year. sportsindustryau.substack.com/p/nrlw-game-...

[AFL] Hawks big win brings season low audience to Seven sportsindustryau.substack.com/p/afl-hawks-...

ICYMI: the one thing that drives me crazy is the inconsistency that makes it virtually impossible to accurately compare data going back through the decades. sportsindustryau.substack.com/p/data-incon...

Data inconsistency and Australian Sport open.substack.com/pub/sportsin...

The week in AU Sports sponsorship, thanks to Scout on LinkedInl. www.linkedin.com/posts/this-w...

ICYMI: Origin 1 rated higher than all 3 Origins in 2025, highest under VOZ, and the highest since 2014. (overnight data) footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

TV Ratings – Sunday 24/5/26. NRL takes an easy win. The NRL continues a good run of strong ratings on Sundays. footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

Disappointing FTA ratings for the Aleague, down 35% YoY and beaten by a combined 3 x single market broadcast of the AFL. footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

The AFL takes out Friday night thanks to its concurrent broadcasts, giving it 2 from 2 to start the weekend on Free to air television. footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

Despite poor camera angles and half renovated stadium evidently ruining the viewer experience, the AFL game in Launceston came out on top on Thursday. footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

Friday #AuSportTV Ratings NRL continues to dominate Friday night FTA averages - NRL +13% YoY, AFL -4.4% YoY footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

AFL Club Membership numbers as of 9/5

Big win to the AFL on FTA this week with one of the largest Dockers tv audiences in Perth for a non derby or final that we can recall.

US TV Ratings 30/3-5/4 (US Eastern) 31/3 #NBL Kings/36ers 5k (4.30am) 1/4 #NBL Kings/36ersRPL 4k (6am) 2/4 #AFL Crows/Dockers 6k (4am) 3/4 #AFL Crows/DockersRPL 2k (6am) 4/4 #AFL Dogs/Bombres 6k (5am) 4/4 #AFL Dees/Suns 1k(4am) 5/4 #AFL Dogs/BombresRPL 4k (6am) Data: @sportsontvguy.bsky.social

Monday #AuSportTV #AFL Hawks/Cats Seven 670k (BVOD 94k) Reach 1.723m 2025: 644k (BVOD 47k) Reach 1.909m #NRL Fox exclusive. Data: VOZ

Thursday Night #NRL is up 5.26% YoY to 692k per match Friday Night NRL is up 18.8% YoY to 713k per match Sunday NRL is down -2.9% YoY to 515k per match. BVOD audiences are up 72% YoY Reach audiences are down on average 1.1% YoY Data: VOZ (Overnights) 2025/2026

The 2025 #NRL season to date has been watched by an aggregate audience of 10.607m at an average of 624,000 per game. This is up 5.45% YoY (and bearing in mind that Easter wasnt until R7 in 2025). Data: VOZ (Overnights) 2025/2026

This Easter Weekend (#NRL Round 5) was watched by an aggregate audience of 2.2m on the Nine Network, with an average audience of 550k per game. This is up 11% on the 2025 Easter Weekend. Data: VOZ (Overnights) 2025/2026

#NBL Kings/36ers Game 5 Ten 146k (BVOD 7k) Reach 559k #Bathurst 6 hour SBS 75k (BVOD 3k) Reach 558k

Sunday #AuSportTV #AFL Sunday Night Dogs/Bombres (all markets) Seven 383k (BVOD 52k) Reach 1.336m Sunday Afternoon Dees/Suns (all markets) Seven 391k (BVOD 47k) Reach 1.169m #NRL Knights/Raiders Nine 453k (BVOD 83k) Reach 1.116m

Telegraph: the ARLC could secure north of $4 billion over five years as V’landys lauded the latest figures which reaffirm his view that rugby league has emphatically dethroned the AFL as Australia’s most-watched sport. www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/nr...

Panthers/Storm Margin: 40 Points Crowd: 20,204 at Commbank Stadium (67% cap) Nine: 667k (BVOD 152k) Reach 1.54m 2026 Fri N Ave: 713k (+18% YoY) *Easter 2025 wasnt until 18/4

Good Friday #NRL Rabbitohs/Bulldogs Margin: 8 Points Crowd: 49,813 at Accor Stadium (60% cap) 2025 Crowd: 65,305 (Dogs home) 2024 Crowd: 35,275 (Sths home) Nine: 497k (BVOD 107k) Reach 1.54m GF 2025: 473k (BVOD 60k) Reach 1.081m

Crows/Dockers Margin: 2 Points Crowd: 48,627 at Adelaide Oval (91% cap) Seven: 244k (BVOD 32k) Reach 615k (WA/SA only) 2026 Fri N Ave: 532,000 (-16% YoY) *Note Easter wasnt until 18/4/2025

Good Friday #AFL Roos/Blues Margin: 10 Points Crowd: 45,919 at Marvel Stadium (82% cap) 2025: 46,373 at Marvel Stadium Seven: 353k (BVOD 41k) Reach 1m (No WA/SA) 2025: 438k (BVOD 24k) Reach 1.306m (No WA)

US TV Ratings 18-22 March 2026 Times USEast #AFL Crows/BulldogsRPL 3,000 (6am) #AFL Crows/Bulldogs 2,000 (04:26) #AFL Tigers/Suns 2,000 (10pm) #AFL Giants/Saints 1,000 (1am) #NRL Raiders/Bulldogs 1,000 (4:58am) Note: RPL = REPLAY Data: @sportsontvguy.bsky.social

#NRL Dolphins/Sea Eagles Margin: 34 points Crowd: TBA at Kayo Stadium Nine 583k (BVOD 126k) Reach 1.391m 2025: 575k (BVOD 82k) Reach 1.383m 2026 Thu N Ave 692k (+5.3% YoY - 2025: 657k) Data: VOZ O'Nights, Austadiums, AFL.com, NRL.com, @Leagueunlimited

Thursday #AuSportTV #AFL Lions/Pies Margin: 54 points Crowd: 36,648 at the Gabba (99% cap) Seven 629k (BVOD 90k) Reach 1.85m 2025: 706k (BVOD 52k) Reach 1.894m 2026 Thu N Ave 689k (+6% YoY - 2025: 650k)

US #AFL TV Ratings Preseason Dogs/Hawks, FS2, 1,000 Round 1 Swans/Blues, FS2, 2,000 Suns/Cats, FS2 1,000 Lions/Dogs, FS2, 4,000 Saints/Pies, FS2 5,000 Round 2 Swans/Lions, FS2, 24,000 Cats/Dockers, FS2, 14,000 Dees/Saints, FS2 11,000 Data: @sportsontvguy.bsky.social

US TV Ratings #Rugby League All NRL ratings to date Round 1 Dogs/Dragons, FS1, 19,000 Superleague, FS2, 12,000 Cowboys/Knights, FS2 6,000 (about two weeks behind us) data: @sportsontvguy

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

Friday #AuSport #NRL 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)

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)

The 2026 Womens Asian Cup delivered a record attendance for a single match that was broken three times during the tournament. The Tournament delivered a record aggregate attendance - the previous record of 59,910 (China, 2010) was beaten on the second day. . footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

Saturday #AuSportTV WAC Final - #Matildas Ten 1.358m (BVOD 233k) Rch 2.659m Data: VOZ

The 2026 #WomensAsianCup was attended by 355,806 at an average of 13,685 using 35% of capacity. #Matildas matches were attended by 253,089 (71% of the total), at an average of 42,182, using 80% of capacity.

From 10PR:

It was a very big weekend in sport, with the Grand Prix having a record crowd, Matildas drawing big in Sydney, Pies/Saints drawing big in Melbourne and the Broncos having a big day out in Brisbane. footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

Network 10 had a big day with the GP & Matildas dominating. footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

Was a big win for the NRL in the average audiences on Friday night. footyindustry.com/index.php/20...

Warriors/Roosters Crowd: 24,112 at GoMedia Stadium

AusF1 GP Crowd: 125,725 at Albert Park Ten 164k (BVOD 16k) Rch 572k (Prac 2) Ten 108k (BVOD 10k) Rch 508k (Prac 1)

Womens test (Aus/India D1) Crowd: 3,439 at the WACA Seven 125k (BVOD 8k) Rch 520k (D1 S3)

#NRL Broncos/Panthers Crowd: 45,566 at Suncorp Stadium Nine 736k (BVOD 202k) Rch 1.655m 2025 - 600k (BVOD 90k) Rch 1.441m