AFL & NRL Footy TV Ratings - 2026

[Beaussie]

Saturday afternoon footy was shown in only 3 markets, and in one, on the secondary channel. Seriously Terry wake up

[Beaussie]

Check out Wookie’s latest, a very interesting read.



Data inconsistency and Australian Sport

SPORTSINDUSTRYAU
MAY 28, 2026

https://sportsindustryau.substack.com/p ... irect=true

Take tv ratings - as discussed in an earlier post - not only has considerable data become inaccessible, but the data we get now has a newer focus that completely seeks to alter our earlier understanding of the ratings process - this has resulted in a top 30 daily report that focuses on reach, instead of the previous industry standard, average. The process of making the ratings standard has come with an almost annual warning: dont compare this data to previous years. Well, isnt that nice.

This is without looking deeper into the differences in broadcast time and other factors that make using average data an interesting exercise for some codes, and really making the comparison between some codes a serious apples and oranges comparison.

[Terry]

Check out Wookie’s latest, a very interesting read.



Data inconsistency and Australian Sport

SPORTSINDUSTRYAU
MAY 28, 2026

https://sportsindustryau.substack.com/p ... irect=true

Take tv ratings - as discussed in an earlier post - not only has considerable data become inaccessible, but the data we get now has a newer focus that completely seeks to alter our earlier understanding of the ratings process - this has resulted in a top 30 daily report that focuses on reach, instead of the previous industry standard, average. The process of making the ratings standard has come with an almost annual warning: dont compare this data to previous years. Well, isnt that nice.

This is without looking deeper into the differences in broadcast time and other factors that make using average data an interesting exercise for some codes, and really making the comparison between some codes a serious apples and oranges comparison.

A rather long rambling dissertation from sooks. Bottom line: All sports lie about stats. Although its obvious the AFL is the worst offender. They're just bald faced liars.

I would however take exception to sooks take on TV ratings. Average has always, and remains, the standard. The daily top 30 does indeed include reach but the headline number is always average. Case in point: last week the headline figure used to quantify the SOO opening game was the stupendous average of 3.995M. It was used by the NRL, Ch9, reporters and every man and his dog including sooks on his marvellous site.

Our dear friend sooks gets a lot of things right. But he ain't the messiah!!!!!!!!!!

[Fred]

Do we know what the advertisers pay more attention to? What is the reason for going to Reach - must be some reason behind it.

[Terry]

Do we know what the advertisers pay more attention to? What is the reason for going to Reach - must be some reason behind it.

The AFL and Ch7 have been pushing for reach. This is because an AFL game goes for 1/3 longer than an NRL game and thus gives them an artificial greater reach. Note: the longer the broadcast the bigger the reach whilst the average remains the same. Folk like sookie and other AFL urgers are of course also gravitating to reach due to inherent bias.

I hope this helps Fred. I suspect it won't lololololol!!!

[Beaussie]

Sunday 31 May

SUNDAY FOOTY FEAST Seven 582,000 137,000 19,000

On Sunday afternoon, Greater Western Sydney defeated Melbourne in Alice Springs.

SEVEN’S AFL: SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL Seven 1,281,000 425,000 44,000

Sunday night footy saw the Eagles easily beat the Bombers with West Coast vs Essendon on Channel 7 in Melbourne and Adelaide and 7mate in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

SEVEN’S AFL: SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Seven 1,538,000 452,000 65,000


In the NRL on Sunday afternoon, the Canberra Raiders played the North Queensland Cowboys.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON NRL LIVE Nine 1,267,000 545,000 99,000

[Beaussie]

Do we know what the advertisers pay more attention to? What is the reason for going to Reach - must be some reason behind it.

The free to air networks wanted to see total viewers reported via reach numbers, and I think the most simplest explanation I’ve seen was over at Big Footy where a poster was questioning Wookie’s analysis and reporting:

It's like if I came into your hotel at closing time and asked you how many customers did you have in total today? Am i to expect you'd give me the average of people inside the hotel at random intervals chosen throughout the day then? Or the total number of people that came into your hotel that day?

It's misleading to the reader and I hope it's not being done to appease the sooking you'd cop over at league unlimited. It's also why idiots like Vlandy's make the claim that nrl has more eyeballs than any other sport in Australia. It's factually incorrect and a blatant lie, but he can use that when the data is misleading by not stating your definition of total, is actually the average total..... not the total audience.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/ ... t-82613662'

It’s very rare to see the AFL not easily dominating week to week in reach/total tv ratings.

[Terry]

Do we know what the advertisers pay more attention to? What is the reason for going to Reach - must be some reason behind it.

The free to air networks wanted to see total viewers reported via reach numbers, and I think the most simplest explanation I’ve seen was over at Big Footy where a poster was questioning Wookie’s analysis and reporting:

It's like if I came into your hotel at closing time and asked you how many customers did you have in total today? Am i to expect you'd give me the average of people inside the hotel at random intervals chosen throughout the day then? Or the total number of people that came into your hotel that day?

It's misleading to the reader and I hope it's not being done to appease the sooking you'd cop over at league unlimited. It's also why idiots like Vlandy's make the claim that nrl has more eyeballs than any other sport in Australia. It's factually incorrect and a blatant lie, but he can use that when the data is misleading by not stating your definition of total, is actually the average total..... not the total audience.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/ ... t-82613662'

It’s very rare to see the AFL not easily dominating week to week in reach/total tv ratings.

So you've gone back to quoting anonymous bogans from bigfooty eh beatup lolololol??? Fair dinkum scraping the bottom of the barrel pal. Why don't ya get onto Daffy Duck or Spongebob Square pants for a quote lololololol!!!!!!!!

[Beaussie]

Nawww, Terry don’t like the official tv ratings and what it actually means. lol

[Terry]

Nawww, Terry don’t like the official tv ratings and what it actually means. lol

Hang on beatup, I'll just go and get some advice from Mr Potato Head and get back to ya soon pal. Good 'ol P Head knows his stuff.

[WookieReturns]

Our dear friend sooks gets a lot of things right. But he ain't the messiah!!!!!!!!!!

Ah Terry good to see the obsession continues.

[Terry]

Our dear friend sooks gets a lot of things right. But he ain't the messiah!!!!!!!!!!

Ah Terry good to see the obsession continues.

Good to see I could lure you back sooks. You need to hang around pal, the fumblers here are struggling big time. Hope you're well and trust your little site has returned to the halcyon days.