The AFL has today announced the highest viewership in the history of the game, reaching more than 370 million people during the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership home and away season across Kayo SPORTS, Foxtel, Seven and 7plus.
Marking the sixth consecutive year of audience growth and reinforcing Australian Football’s position as the nation’s most watched sport, fans have continued to engage with the game in record numbers across free-to-air television, subscription television and streaming platforms.
The record audience figures come amid strong growth across both traditional and emerging football markets, with Metro and Regional television audiences increasing overall, including year-on-year growth of more than 30 per cent in Perth and more than 10 per cent in Sydney.
The AFL has also seen significant growth in digital viewing, with audiences on 7plus increasing by almost 130 per cent this season, while Thursday night audiences have grown by more than 16 per cent.
Kayo SPORTS saw the highest rating Gather Round ever highlighted by the Hawthorn and Western Bulldogs game on the Saturday night achieving the highest rating Gather Round match ever on the platform.
The Round 23 match between Collingwood and Hawthorn was the most watched match this season across Kayo SPORTS and Foxtel, with Round 12 achieving the highest average audience for the year.
Continuing its dominance in prime-time free-to-air viewing, the AFL was the most watched sport nationally on Thursday and Friday nights. On average, AFL free-to-air broadcasts attracted more than 550,000 additional viewers than competing sports, winning 15 of 21 Thursday night contests and 16 of 23 Friday night contests on average audiences.
On free-to-air, the AFL retains the title of Australia’s most watched winter sport, reaching 11 per cent more people than NRL free-to-air coverage so far in 2026.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the results reflected the continued passion Australians have for the game.
“The record-breaking broadcast figures are incredibly pleasing and are a testament to the clubs, players, our broadcast partners and the fans who continue to make our game the biggest and best sport in Australia.
“The growth we are seeing across television, streaming and in key markets highlights the strength of the competition and the connection supporters have with their clubs week in and week out.”
FOX SPORTS Managing Director Steve Crawley said the record audience figures reflected the passion and connection fans have with the AFL.
“Sport is at its best when it brings people together. We’ve been incredibly proud to bring every game of every round to fans across Kayo SPORTS and Foxtel, giving them more opportunities to experience the moments, the excitement and everything that makes this game so special.
“These results are a great reflection of the fans and their insatiable appetite for the game, and we look forward to bringing them every moment of the Toyota AFL Finals Series.”
Seven’s Head of AFL and Innovation, Gary O’Keeffe, said:
“The AFL continues to build its position as Australia’s most watched sport and we’re very proud to work with the AFL to bring it to all Australians across the screens of Seven.
“Six years in a row of audience growth is an incredible achievement and a real testament to everyone – the players, the clubs, the broadcasters, the sponsors, the AFL itself and, of course, the fans. None of this would be possible with the loyalty and passion of the fans.
“We’re very excited about the Wildcard Finals, the Finals, the Brownlow Medal and, of course, the Grand Final. It’s going to be a fantastic end to a great season of footy on Seven and 7plus Sport.”
The 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season has delivered some of the most watched matches and rounds.
The highest-rating match of the season was the Round 18 blockbuster between Fremantle and Sydney, which averaged an audience of approximately 1.5 million viewers, while the Grand Final rematch between Geelong and Brisbane in Round 17 was the highest-reaching match of the year, reaching more than 3.4 million people.
The King’s Birthday Round proved the most watched round of the season, attracting a remarkable 7.4 million viewers despite featuring only eight matches.
The strength of audience engagement was evident through to the thrilling conclusion of the home –and away rounds, with every match in the final round of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season reaching more than one million people.
The record-breaking audience figures add to a landmark year for the game, alongside record attendances, strong membership growth and participation numbers across Australia
