THE 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final has delivered a record-breaking finish to a massive season, with more than 100,000 fans at the MCG and the biggest ever audience for an AFL Grand Final tuning in across the country.
The 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final is the number one television program this year and the most watched Grand Final on record, drawing an average audience of over 4.52 million and reaching over 6.5 million across the Seven Network and 7plus.
A crowd of 100,023 packed the MCG for the biggest day on the Australian sporting calendar, while more than 350,000 people celebrated across the free Footy Fest and the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade during a huge week of football, entertainment and activity in Melbourne.
The day was headline by an iconic Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment performed by Kylie Minogue with 98,000 fans in the stadium an hour prior to the match start to catch Melbourne’s own global superstar, before Brisbane and Fremantle battled it out in a Grand Final for the ages with Brisbane becoming three-peat Premiers for the second time in their clubs' history.
The record result follows a standout 2026 Toyota AFL Finals Series, with fans turning out in huge numbers across September and millions of Australians tuning in to watch the country’s biggest sporting moments unfold.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the response from fans throughout Grand Final week and on Toyota AFL Grand Final day reflected the incredible passion fans have for the game across the country.
“The Toyota AFL Grand Final is the greatest day on the Australian sporting calendar and this year fans delivered again, filling the MCG, turning out across Grand Final week and watching in record numbers around the country.
“The Brisbane and Fremantle final is one of the greatest our game has seen and to have the highest watched Grand Final ever, the number one television program of the year and more than 1.4 million people watching on 7plus is an outstanding result for the game and a credit to our fans, clubs, players, broadcast partners and everyone involved in delivering an unforgettable week.
“From the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade and free Footy Fest to a packed MCG on Grand Final day, the passion and energy around the country was extraordinary. It was a fitting celebration of our game and a brilliant way to close a record-breaking season.
“On behalf of the AFL and clubs, I want to thank the fans who continue to make our game great and for the continuous passion they show week in and week out.”
The match is the highest attended AFL/VFL grand final between two non-Victorian clubs surpassing the 2024 Grand Final crowd of 100,013 and is the second highest attended Grand Final in the AFL era, behind the capacity MCG crowds of 100,024 in 2022 and 2023.
The record 2026 Toyota AFL Finals Series follows the highest home-and-away attendance in VFL/AFL history, with 7,772,015 fans attending matches during the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, with total season attendance at 8,528,279 fans.
The 2026 Toyota AFL home and away season viewership reached a record high as more Australians than ever tune in, reaching more than 370 million people across Kayo SPORTS, Foxtel, Seven and 7plus.
