Many sports fans in Melbourne tuned in as they were keen to see who the Storm would play in the Grand Final. It also goes to show that if the AFL and NRL work together to prevent their major finals clashing, it benefits both codes. Rugby Union should take note.
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Also brings back the discussion of moving the Grand final to an earlier start time for the NRL. Seems to be a popular topic in the NRL now given how strong the afternoon ratings have been.
It isnāt that easy.
NRLās GF day is three separate GFs. AFLās is just one.
If you want the two non-main GFs to suffer five-digit ratings, then sure. Move the main one to arvo.
This finals series, NRL on 9 has been rating more than AFL on 7 (NRL was higher for both Semiās & Prelimās). So I wouldnāt be surprised if NRL GF beats or gets close to beating the AFL GF
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NRLW will still rate okay, and does anyone actually care about the NSW v Qld Cup Grand Final?
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Yeah, but the point is that itās the afternoon games that have rated stronger than the night games during the finals. Likewise, you will get a few hundred thousand less in Sydney purely because thereās no Sydney team this year, and Melbourne was in it last year, so the ratings would be around the same, maybe a bit higher. So youāre going to find 700-900k somewhere. Letās also not forget that the AFL GF also rated 300k above Origin, which is a behemoth of a television event; and the Broncos donāt have the same support as the Maroons do in Brisbane (and i say this as a Queenslander). Iām not saying itās not possible, but it would be a surprise if it did get over 4.1m
Also, thereās no evidence that the NRL finals have rated higher than the AFLās because we donāt have ratings from Foxtel and Kayo. And considering the highest rated game of all time is the recent AFL prelim with Brisbane and Collingwood, the combined figures of the AFL prelims could still be higher considering Fox has only released AFL ratings this year, and they havenāt provided any NRL ones at all. You canāt judge it on FTA alone
I was comparing NRL on 9 & AFL on 7
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Of course, but Foxtel and Kayo take a significant amount of viewership from 9 and 7, so you canāt look at the FTA ratings and see it as an absolute. We will only know how well the game would rate when the figures are released. Iām not saying itās not possible for the NRL GF to outrate the AFL GF, as Iām happy to see both games doing well and I want the broncoās to win, but all iām saying is that FTA isnāt the only platforms these sports are on. And thereās evidence out there that says that the AFL is outperforming the NRL on other platforms. However, these figures really are incredible and it wouldnāt surprise me if the NRL did have itās best grand final ratings this year. No matter if it outrates the AFL or not (which is pointless argument anyways because both codes are doing well).
I have noticed that the afternoon finals are doing better than the night games this year, so i actually think this years GF would have done better had it been on in an earlier slot. Hopefully the NRL makes the move next year given how successful itās been this year.
Total TV Consolidated 7 Days
Total TV Consolidated 7 Top 30 Programs Total People
| Rank | Description | Network | Reach | Average | BVOD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL | Seven | 3,157,000 | 1,396,000 | 323,000 |
| 2 | SEVEN NEWS | Seven | 2,372,000 | 1,478,000 | 170,000 |
| 3 | THE BLOCK -MON | Nine | 2,223,000 | 1,450,000 | 410,000 |
| 4 | 9NEWS | Nine | 2,127,000 | 1,349,000 | 122,000 |
| 5 | A CURRENT AFFAIR | Nine | 1,878,000 | 1,120,000 | 104,000 |
| 6 | TIPPING POINT AUSTRALIA | Nine | 1,553,000 | 858,000 | 102,000 |
| 7 | HOME AND AWAY | Seven | 1,506,000 | 985,000 | 282,000 |
| 8 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL ā RED CARPET | Seven | 1,481,000 | 891,000 | 195,000 |
| 9 | HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION? | 10 | 1,417,000 | 872,000 | 116,000 |
| 10 | THE CHASE AUSTRALIA | Seven | 1,360,000 | 680,000 | 71,000 |
| 11 | THE AMAZING RACE AUSTRALIA: CELEBRITY MON | 10 | 1,315,000 | 808,000 | 217,000 |
| 12 | 7.30-EV | ABC | 1,260,000 | 782,000 | 54,000 |
| 13 | ABC NEWS-EV | ABC | 1,191,000 | 900,000 | 57,000 |
| 14 | THE 1% CLUB UK (R) | Seven | 1,063,000 | 503,000 | 77,000 |
| 15 | AUSTRALIAN STORY-EV | ABC | 1,060,000 | 805,000 | 138,000 |
| 16 | FOUR CORNERS-EV | ABC | 1,048,000 | 678,000 | 73,000 |
| 17 | SUNRISE | Seven | 966,000 | 411,000 | 51,000 |
| 18 | TODAY | Nine | 851,000 | 334,000 | 51,000 |
| 19 | MEDIA WATCH-EV | ABC | 786,000 | 685,000 | 54,000 |
| 20 | 9NEWS AFTERNOON | Nine | 781,000 | 404,000 | 43,000 |
| 21 | M- THE EQUALIZER 2 | Seven | 777,000 | 259,000 | 30,000 |
| 22 | PLANET AMERICA-LE | ABC | 695,000 | 474,000 | 72,000 |
| 23 | 100% FOOTY | Nine | 689,000 | 209,000 | 40,000 |
| 24 | SEVEN NEWS AT 4 | Seven | 681,000 | 337,000 | 33,000 |
| 25 | HARD QUIZ S8 RPT | ABC | 672,000 | 368,000 | 19,000 |
| 26 | NEWS BREAKFAST-AM | ABC | 657,000 | 234,000 | 19,000 |
| 27 | TALKINā āBOUT YOUR GEN ENCORE | 10 | 629,000 | 260,000 | 9,000 |
| 28 | 10 NEWS | 10 | 608,000 | 311,000 | 22,000 |
| 29 | TIPPING POINT UK | Nine | 588,000 | 341,000 | 30,000 |
| 30 | THE MORNING SHOW | Seven | 556,000 | 238,000 | 30,000 |
Total TV Consolidated 7 Top 30 Programs 25-54
| Rank | Description | Network | Reach | Average | BVOD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL | Seven | 1,248,000 | 594,000 | 183,000 |
| 2 | THE BLOCK -MON | Nine | 955,000 | 678,000 | 245,000 |
| 3 | SEVEN NEWS | Seven | 694,000 | 398,000 | 86,000 |
| 4 | 9NEWS | Nine | 654,000 | 402,000 | 61,000 |
| 5 | HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION? | 10 | 644,000 | 418,000 | 66,000 |
| 6 | A CURRENT AFFAIR | Nine | 631,000 | 342,000 | 55,000 |
| 7 | THE AMAZING RACE AUSTRALIA: CELEBRITY MON | 10 | 576,000 | 395,000 | 124,000 |
| 8 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL ā RED CARPET | Seven | 558,000 | 342,000 | 109,000 |
| 9 | HOME AND AWAY | Seven | 549,000 | 363,000 | 152,000 |
| 10 | TIPPING POINT AUSTRALIA | Nine | 426,000 | 232,000 | 49,000 |
| 11 | THE CHASE AUSTRALIA | Seven | 345,000 | 161,000 | 35,000 |
| 12 | THE 1% CLUB UK (R) | Seven | 345,000 | 149,000 | 42,000 |
| 13 | TALKINā āBOUT YOUR GEN ENCORE | 10 | 310,000 | 134,000 | 5,000 |
| 14 | 100% FOOTY | Nine | 307,000 | 91,000 | 24,000 |
| 15 | TODAY | Nine | 297,000 | 127,000 | 28,000 |
| 16 | SUNRISE | Seven | 286,000 | 124,000 | 28,000 |
| 17 | 7.30-EV | ABC | 258,000 | 140,000 | 22,000 |
| 18 | M- THE EQUALIZER 2 | Seven | 230,000 | 86,000 | 16,000 |
| 19 | ABC NEWS-EV | ABC | 227,000 | 171,000 | 23,000 |
| 20 | AUSTRALIAN STORY-EV | ABC | 215,000 | 164,000 | 59,000 |
| 21 | FOUR CORNERS-EV | ABC | 214,000 | 125,000 | 30,000 |
| 22 | DEAL OR NO DEAL | 10 | 204,000 | 102,000 | 18,000 |
| 23 | TODAY -EARLY | Nine | 190,000 | 89,000 | 19,000 |
| 24 | MEDIA WATCH-EV | ABC | 186,000 | 158,000 | 22,000 |
| 25 | 9NEWS AFTERNOON | Nine | 183,000 | 98,000 | 21,000 |
| 26 | NEWS BREAKFAST-AM | ABC | 183,000 | 68,000 | 9,000 |
| 27 | SUNRISE -EARLY | Seven | 176,000 | 85,000 | 18,000 |
| 28 | TODAY EXTRA | Nine | 169,000 | 72,000 | 16,000 |
| 29 | THE BIG BANG THEORY RPT | 10 | 166,000 | 35,000 | 2,000 |
| 30 | PLANET AMERICA-LE | ABC | 163,000 | 110,000 | 30,000 |
Total TV Consolidated 7 Top 30 Programs 16-39
| Rank | Description | Network | Reach | Average | BVOD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL | Seven | 782,000 | 389,000 | 143,000 |
| 2 | THE BLOCK -MON | Nine | 493,000 | 335,000 | 143,000 |
| 3 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL ā RED CARPET | Seven | 351,000 | 219,000 | 81,000 |
| 4 | A CURRENT AFFAIR | Nine | 305,000 | 163,000 | 28,000 |
| 5 | SEVEN NEWS | Seven | 301,000 | 161,000 | 44,000 |
| 6 | HOME AND AWAY | Seven | 297,000 | 179,000 | 88,000 |
| 7 | 9NEWS | Nine | 287,000 | 182,000 | 30,000 |
| 8 | HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION? | 10 | 264,000 | 170,000 | 32,000 |
| 9 | THE AMAZING RACE AUSTRALIA: CELEBRITY MON | 10 | 250,000 | 175,000 | 63,000 |
| 10 | TIPPING POINT AUSTRALIA | Nine | 182,000 | 105,000 | 25,000 |
| 11 | THE 1% CLUB UK (R) | Seven | 168,000 | 79,000 | 26,000 |
| 12 | THE CHASE AUSTRALIA | Seven | 138,000 | 55,000 | 17,000 |
| 13 | TALKINā āBOUT YOUR GEN ENCORE | 10 | 120,000 | 58,000 | 2,000 |
| 14 | 100% FOOTY | Nine | 119,000 | 32,000 | 12,000 |
| 15 | TODAY | Nine | 103,000 | 39,000 | 13,000 |
| 16 | 7.30-EV | ABC | 103,000 | 60,000 | 10,000 |
| 17 | 9NEWS AFTERNOON | Nine | 88,000 | 47,000 | 10,000 |
| 18 | ABC NEWS-EV | ABC | 87,000 | 65,000 | 10,000 |
| 19 | PLAY SCHOOL: PLAYTIME WITH PETS-AM | ABC | 86,000 | 81,000 | 51,000 |
| 20 | SUNRISE | Seven | 86,000 | 32,000 | 12,000 |
| 21 | DEAL OR NO DEAL | 10 | 85,000 | 45,000 | 9,000 |
| 22 | AUSTRALIAN STORY-EV | ABC | 77,000 | 61,000 | 25,000 |
| 23 | M- THE EQUALIZER 2 | Seven | 70,000 | 26,000 | 8,000 |
| 24 | NEWS BREAKFAST-AM | ABC | 69,000 | 24,000 | 4,000 |
| 25 | FOUR CORNERS-EV | ABC | 67,000 | 37,000 | 13,000 |
| 26 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL MULTI | Seven | 67,000 | 45,000 | 22,000 |
| 27 | THE BLOCK -SUN -ENCORE | Nine | 66,000 | 26,000 | 5,000 |
| 28 | TODAY EXTRA | Nine | 64,000 | 29,000 | 8,000 |
| 29 | AUSTRALIAN CRIME STORIES: THE INVESTIGATORS -RPT | Nine | 62,000 | 22,000 | 5,000 |
| 30 | PAWN STARS-PM (R) | Seven | 60,000 | 23,000 | 7,000 |
Total TV Consolidated 7 Top 30 Programs Grocery Shoppers
| Rank | Description | Network | Reach | Average | BVOD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL | Seven | 2,333,000 | 1,033,000 | 239,000 |
| 2 | SEVEN NEWS | Seven | 1,891,000 | 1,193,000 | 136,000 |
| 3 | THE BLOCK -MON | Nine | 1,740,000 | 1,160,000 | 333,000 |
| 4 | 9NEWS | Nine | 1,678,000 | 1,079,000 | 100,000 |
| 5 | A CURRENT AFFAIR | Nine | 1,486,000 | 898,000 | 85,000 |
| 6 | TIPPING POINT AUSTRALIA | Nine | 1,249,000 | 707,000 | 83,000 |
| 7 | HOME AND AWAY | Seven | 1,166,000 | 776,000 | 227,000 |
| 8 | HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION? | 10 | 1,121,000 | 705,000 | 94,000 |
| 9 | THE CHASE AUSTRALIA | Seven | 1,095,000 | 555,000 | 57,000 |
| 10 | 2025 AFL BROWNLOW MEDAL ā RED CARPET | Seven | 1,086,000 | 652,000 | 147,000 |
| 11 | 7.30-EV | ABC | 1,064,000 | 669,000 | 48,000 |
| 12 | THE AMAZING RACE AUSTRALIA: CELEBRITY MON | 10 | 1,050,000 | 651,000 | 179,000 |
| 13 | ABC NEWS-EV | ABC | 1,002,000 | 757,000 | 50,000 |
| 14 | AUSTRALIAN STORY-EV | ABC | 905,000 | 693,000 | 123,000 |
| 15 | FOUR CORNERS-EV | ABC | 885,000 | 577,000 | 65,000 |
| 16 | THE 1% CLUB UK (R) | Seven | 837,000 | 403,000 | 61,000 |
| 17 | SUNRISE | Seven | 799,000 | 343,000 | 42,000 |
| 18 | TODAY | Nine | 695,000 | 278,000 | 42,000 |
| 19 | MEDIA WATCH-EV | ABC | 669,000 | 585,000 | 48,000 |
| 20 | 9NEWS AFTERNOON | Nine | 642,000 | 332,000 | 35,000 |
| 21 | M- THE EQUALIZER 2 | Seven | 633,000 | 211,000 | 24,000 |
| 22 | PLANET AMERICA-LE | ABC | 599,000 | 415,000 | 64,000 |
| 23 | HARD QUIZ S8 RPT | ABC | 563,000 | 310,000 | 17,000 |
| 24 | SEVEN NEWS AT 4 | Seven | 553,000 | 278,000 | 27,000 |
| 25 | 100% FOOTY | Nine | 552,000 | 169,000 | 32,000 |
| 26 | NEWS BREAKFAST-AM | ABC | 540,000 | 198,000 | 17,000 |
| 27 | TALKINā āBOUT YOUR GEN ENCORE | 10 | 511,000 | 205,000 | 8,000 |
| 28 | 10 NEWS | 10 | 497,000 | 256,000 | 18,000 |
| 29 | TIPPING POINT UK | Nine | 489,000 | 283,000 | 24,000 |
| 30 | THE MORNING SHOW | Seven | 464,000 | 200,000 | 25,000 |
Data Ā© OzTAM Pty Limited 2025. The Data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM.
I think this shows this NRL Finals is higher than AFL (btw I donāt watch NRL, so Iām not a NRL fan). The only question is if they can beat the AFL GF
The AFL combined is 4.573million with
Friday: 1.3mill (7) + 822k (Fox) = 2.124mill
Saturday: 1.546mill (7) + 903k (Fox) = 2.449mill
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Wow. Great for the NRL. When did it become the number 1 code? This year or is this a trend?
This years finals for NRL has been higher rating than AFL so far
A good year doesnāt make it the number one code. The AFL could release their reach figures for the year, which blows the NRL out of the water. Not to mention their crowds and memberships are significantly better. There is no number 1 code in Australia, because both codes have equal claims at being the number 1, however, it will never be definitive.
Iām a bit bewildered by this discussion on the NRL Grand Final potentially outrating AFL Grand Final. In order for that to happen, the NRL Grand Final would literally need to lift by an average of more than 650k viewers from last year and in Reach over 800k. It sounds a bit of a stretch.
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It would be a stretch but currently the first 3 weeks of NRL Finals have more finals viewers than 3 weeks of the AFL Finals.
While the NRL would need about 700k average viewers than last year, it is possible. The NRL prelims was about 600k more than the AFL prelims. So itās not impossible
Are we sure theyāre only using Australian figures though? The broncos match had 1.764m + 943k on kayo. Thatās roughly 2.7million. The Storm matched rated lower at 1,471m. That brings the total to almost 4.2m. (4.178000 million to be exact). According to NRLās own release, the Broncos game was the most watched sporting game of all time on their platform. However, if the 5.2m+ figure is correct, then the storm vs sharks game had to rate over 1 million on foxtel platforms, or else the numbers fall short. NRL has historically included NZ figures in the past, so it wouldnāt surprise me if they did it to make their numbers look better this year as well. I apologise if my math is incorrect.
Your math is correct. They must be including the NZ figures for this. But even then, If the Fox for prelim 1 was 800-900k, itās gotten 5-5.1million. Which is more than AFL 4.5million viewers
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First PF must have been 822k on fox given the NRL have said the Australian audience was 5m for week 3 finals, which is huge.
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799k according to code sports - this story has a list of the all time top 10 across NRL and AFL
NRL smashes viewership records as magic million approaches
I know this might be better suited to the prediction thread, but relevant to the discussion here
Ok, so hereās a quick estimation (hedging a bet each way for the winner) and Iād say a fairly safe calculation as to the possible NRL GF total average audience this Sunday night, all are give or take 
Sydney: 725k.
Melbourne: 500k.
Brisbane: 775k.
Adelaide: 60k.
Perth: 100k.
QLD: 275k.
N NSW: 225k.
S NSW: 200k.
VIC: 83k.
TAS: 17k.
WA: 33k.
āRest of Australiaā: 100k.
BVOD: 875k.
Total = 3.968m.
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