The innovative industry partnership has delivered a landmark result, with The Ultimate Footy Watchalongseries attracting more than 250,000 live viewers and generating over ten million social video views.

Following the success of the inaugural watchalong in 2025, the AFL expanded the concept into a two-match creator series in 2026, partnering with Dan Does Footy and supported by broadcast partners 7plus and Kayo SPORTS. The series became the first creator-led AFL live streams to feature official AFL match vision, creating an industry-first viewing experience that combined the excitement of live football with the authenticity and entertainment of creator content.

The series launched with Fremantle v Sydney, streamed live across 7plus, AFL YouTube and Kayo SPORTS, before returning for North Melbourne v Melbourne, available on AFL YouTube and Kayo SPORTS. Together, the broadcasts demonstrated how official match vision and creator-led programming can work hand in hand to complement the live broadcast while engaging new and younger audiences.
 
Across the two broadcasts, the series attracted more than 250,000 live viewers across 7plus, AFL YouTube, Kayo SPORTS and Foxtel. The initiative strongly resonated with younger audiences, with 65 per cent of viewers on the AFL's YouTube stream aged under 34, while delivering a double-digit average watch time, highlighting the format's ability to both attract and retain younger fans.
 
Beyond the live broadcasts, The Ultimate Footy Watchalong generated more than ten million social video views across promotional content, live moments and highlights, extending the conversation well beyond the final siren and demonstrating the power of creator-led storytelling to amplify premium live sport.
 
The series featured a host of memorable moments, including an exclusive interview with Socceroos goalkeeper and GWS Giants supporter Patrick Beach, an innovative live-streamed car ride with Peter Daicos, and appearances from AFL and AFLW stars Ruby Schleicher, Will Day, Jack Higgins and Riley Hamilton.
 
The series featured a host of memorable moments, including an exclusive interview with Socceroos goalkeeper and GWS Giants supporter Patrick Beach, an innovative live-streamed car ride with Peter Daicos, 7NEWS Sport Reporter, Xander McGuire, and appearances from AFL and AFLW stars including Kayo SPORTS commentator Ruby Schleicher, Will Day, Jack Higgins, and Riley Hamilton.

The series provided fans another way to amplify the live content experience - watching the game while engaging with creators and communities across multiple screens. By bringing together the AFL access, Dan Does Footy's creator expertise and the reach of official broadcast partners Seven  and Kayo SPORTS, The Ultimate Footy Watchalong demonstrated how live sport can continue to evolve and adapt for digital-first audiences.
 
Designed as a complementary viewing experience, the watchalong gave fans another way to engage with the game while supporting the live broadcast across the AFL's official broadcast partners.

The success of The Ultimate Footy Watchalong coincided with a record-breaking viewership result for the official Fremantle v Sydney broadcast, the highest-rating AFL match of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. 
 
The top-of-the-table Thursday night clash surpassed the record-breaking King’s Birthday match, with an average audience of over 1.4 million and reached more than 3.3 million Australians, not including the viewers of the Watchalong. The broadcast also delivered the largest 7plus audience ever recorded for a home-and-away AFL match and was Seven’s highest-rating AFL match in both Western Australia and New South Wales since 2022.
 
Viewership for the 2026 season is the highest ever, with over 110 million Australians tuning into the season to date.

Together, the results demonstrate the power of combining premium live sport, creator-led entertainment and world-class broadcast coverage to deepen fan engagement and reach audiences across every screen.

AFL Executive General Manager Customer, Commercial and Technology, Bec Haagsma said she was pleased with the success of the collaboration, as an important step in the league’s broader digital content strategy.
 
“We are pleased to see that The Ultimate Footy Watchalong resonated with our fans and delivered an enjoyable watchalong experience, evidenced by the high viewership and engagement numbers.
 
“By bringing together live sport access, Dan Does Footy's creator expertise and the reach of official broadcast partners Seven and Kayo SPORTS, The Ultimate Footy Watchalong demonstrated how we can continue to evolve and adapt our AFL offerings for digital-first audiences."
 
Eddie Deal, founder of The Gifted Group (Dan Gorringe’s manager) said: 
“One of the biggest misconceptions about creator-led sport is that it's trying to replace traditional broadcasting. The data tells us the opposite. The future of sports media isn't about changing how people watch the game, it's about creating more ways for people to experience it together. 

“Community has always been at the heart of sport, and creator broadcasts simply give fans another place to celebrate, debate and experience those moments together. That's how fandom grows. 

“Seeing more than 250,000 people tune in live and millions more engaging across social media, shows just how powerful that model can be. 

“We're incredibly proud of what this collaboration achieved and grateful to the AFL, Kayo and Seven for backing an innovation that we believe represents an important step forward for the future of sports media.”

Dan Gorringe (Dan Does Footy) said:
“I've never believed creator led media and traditional broadcasters are competing with each other because they serve different purposes. Broadcasters deliver world-class coverage of the game, while creators bring fans into the conversation and build community around it. 

“The stronger both become, the stronger the sport becomes. It's been amazing to see so many people embrace this format, and we're excited to keep finding new ways to bring fans closer to the game they love.”

Seven Network's Head of Sport Digital, Kirsty Bradmore, said:
"Working with creators who love the game allows us to connect with audiences in authentic new ways. We are continually exploring more ways to innovate our broadcast offering for viewers across Australia. Delivering those results alongside a record-breaking broadcast on Seven and 7plus is exciting and we look forward to achieving strong viewership into the final rounds of the Premiership season and Finals Series.”
 
General Manager Fox Footy, Michael Neill, said:
“We thought the Ultimate Watchalong would be live, loose and a lot of fun and that’s exactly what Dan and his team delivered. It resonated loudly with audiences on Kayo SPORTS and across digital platforms - a true sign of how fans are consuming sport.”

“We’re looking forward to continuing our work with the AFL to provide interesting and innovative ways for fans to enjoy the game we love.”
 
The Ultimate Footy Watchalong demonstrates the power of collaboration between the AFL, creators and broadcasters to create new ways for fans to experience the game. By combining premium live sport, official AFL match vision and creator-led storytelling, the initiative has set a new benchmark for fan engagement and established a blueprint for the future of live sports content in Australia.