The AFL is pleased to announce last night's 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final between Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs attracted a national average audience of 4.11m. Making it the highest watched television program in Australia to date this year.
The 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final achieved the highest average audience since the 2016 Grand Final, and up 39% compared to the 2019 Toyota AFL Grand Final between Richmond and Greater Western Sydney.
The average audience in Melbourne was 1.64m, making it the highest ever Melbourne audience for an AFL Grand Final. This audience was up 64% for 2019 and up 2% for 2020.
Perth produced an average TV audience of 483K, which was the largest Grand Final audience in Perth in the past 8 years (since 2013) and the highest audience ever in Perth for a Grand Final not involving Fremantle or the West Coast Eagles.
These huge viewing numbers come off the back of another unprecedented year for football where the support and interest from fans across the broadcast of AFL games was extremely strong, with strong viewership across the finals series building on Home and Away season audiences that were up approximately 9% on 2019.
AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan thanked the Seven Network for its broadcast of the Grand Final.
"On behalf of the AFL I want to thank the host broadcaster of the Grand Final – the Seven Network – for their outstanding broadcast of last night's 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final in Perth as well as their team's commitment to the event and to the season more broadly.
"All of our broadcast partners – the Seven Network, Foxtel, Kayo, as well as our radio and international partners – have continued to go above and beyond this season. They have provided incredible support throughout a very difficult environment and their coverage has provided fans with great access to our game throughout."
"To all our loyal fans who tuned in across the season, I hope the footy has provided you with some comfort and connection amid the broader challenges we've experienced in 2021. We are grateful for your loyalty and support which has again highlighted that we have the best sports fans in the world."
