AFL & NRL Footy TV Ratings - 2026

[Beaussie]

Sunday 13 September

Penrith Panthers vs Sydney Roosters

NRL LIVE FINAL SERIES QF2 Nine 1,953,000 998,000 245,000


SUNDAY EARLY AFTERNOON NRLW Nine 451,000 159,000 28,000

SUNDAY AFTERNOON NRLW Nine 518,000 184,000 36,000

[leeroy*NRL*]

Freo v Swans 1,589,000 Ch7 National Only

[Beaussie]

Friday 18 September

Sydney Swans vs Fremantle Dockers

SEVEN’S AFL: FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL FINALS Seven 3,730,000 1,589,000 308,000

Easily the biggest AFL tv audience of the year and up 200,000 on last year’s equivalent game that had and average tv audience of 1.302 million.


Wests Tigers vs Canberra Raiders

NRLW FINAL SERIES EF1 Nine 1,066,000 250,000 50,000

Not sure what the NRL and Channel 9 were thinking going with NRLW on the main channel. An average of just 250,000 viewers.



Saturday 19 September

Hawthorn Hawks vs Brisbane Lions

SEVEN’S AFL: SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL FINALS Seven 3,351,000 1,478,000 286,000


Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks

NRL LIVE FINAL SERIES SF1 Nine 1,937,000 918,000 231,000


Brisbane Broncos vs Newcastle Knights

NRLW FINAL SERIES EF2 Nine 746,000 192,000 38,000

[leeroy*NRL*]

i got to say that was the BEST AFL PRE LIM'S i have ever experienced as a neutral

[Beaussie]

Sunday 20 September

New Zealand Warriors vs Newcastle Knights

NRL LIVE FINAL SERIES SF2 Nine 2,026,000 1,088,000 286,000

Sydney 305,000
Melbourne 55,000
Brisbane 214,000
Adelaide 15,000
Perth 22,000

The NRL Second Semi-Final averaged 1.088 million. That compares to the equivalent game last year that had an average audience of 1.174 million.



SUNDAY FOOTY SHOW - AFL Nine 539,000 242,000 29,000


Program Network Average

SANFL: GRAND FINAL SEVEN 110,000

Adelaide 100,000


WAFL: GRAND FINAL SEVEN 81,000

Perth 67,000


FOOTBALL: VFL - PM ABC 80,000

Melbourne 59,000


WOMEN’S AFL: SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL SEVEN 38,000

Melbourne 21,000

WOMEN’S AFL: SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL SEVEN 77,000

Sydney 16,000
Melbourne 21,000
Brisbane 11,000
Adelaide 5,000

[Beaussie]

Footy finals fever fires up TV audiences

AFL Finals series on Seven reaches 9.1 million, total TV audience up 9%

The Australian Football League has cemented its position as the most-watched winter sport in the country, with the Seven Network’s live and free coverage of the AFL Finals series reaching 9.1 million on Seven and 7plus Sport and boosting its total TV audience 9% compared to the 2025 Finals.

This year’s Finals had a national total TV audience of 1.12 million, up from 1.03 million in 2025. On 7plus Sport alone they had 209,000 viewers, up 62% from 129,000 last year.

From the start of the 2026 Premiership Season on 5 March to the Preliminary Final between Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions on Saturday, Seven’s AFL coverage reached 17.25 million Australians – 2.18 million or 14% more than the 2026 NRL season so far.

Friday’s Sydney Swans vs Fremantle clash was the most watched game this year, reaching 3.73 million people nationally, with a national total TV audience of 1.59 million, up 21% on the same match last year. More than 308,000 people tuned in on 7plus Sport, which was the highest 7plus AFL audience this year.

Saturdays’ showdown between Hawthorn and Brisbane reached 3.35 million and had a national total TV audience of 1.48 million, the second highest audience this year.

All of the 2026 Finals games on Seven were #1 in their timeslots in all people, 25 to 54s, 16 to 39s and grocery shoppers.

Seven Network Head of AFL and Sport Innovation, Gary O’Keeffe, said: “What an extraordinary weekend of football and a brilliant way to launch into what promises to be a massive AFL Grand Final Week on Seven and 7plus Sport.

[Beaussie]

Monday 21 September



AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL Seven 3,403,000 1,626,000 436,000

Sydney 75,000
Melbourne 606,000
Brisbane 92,000
Adelaide 182,000
Perth 227,000

2026 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL – RED CARPET Seven 1,782,000 977,000 273,000

Sydney 64,000
Melbourne 367,000
Brisbane 78,000
Adelaide 117,000
Perth 43,000


Brownlow Medal’s golden night on Seven

Biggest audience in more than a decade and reaches 3.4million

The Seven Network’s live, free and exclusive of AFL’s night of nights, the 2026 CharlesBrownlow Medal, hit the mark with viewers last night, reaching 3.4 million people acrossSeven and 7plus Sport.

A national total TV audience of 1.63 million, up 18% from 1.38 million last year, tuned in as Collingwood’s Nick Daicos made history, polling 47 votes – the most ever recorded in a single season.

This year’s coverage produced the biggest Brownlow audience in more than a decade. More than 435,000 people tuned in on 7plus Sport, up 37% on last year.

Earlier last night, Brownlow Medal Red Carpet reached 1.78 million Australians, with anational total TV audience of 977,000, up 11% on last year. More than 273,000 watched thered carpet coverage on 7plus Sport

[leeroy*NRL*]

how does an award show rate so high lol

[leeroy*NRL*]

AFL have Kylie Minogue>>

NRL with now Nothing (as tones and I) and NRL can not come to an agreement...

With NRL entertainment constantly out rating the AFL entertainment, WHY has the NRL stuffed this up.

WIll they get an act to together in time ... or as PVL has stated NRL do not need Entertainment before game, The game is the Entertainment.