Chris Fagan’s Brisbane Lions might have gone back-to-back, but the Seven Network was the real winner on grand final day.
Updated on October 1: Since publishing this article, OzTAM and the Seven Network has updated the audiences numbers. The reach has since increased to 6.4 million and the national total TV audience 4.18 million. The revised numbers are for the actual time the Grand Final was on air.
The free-to-air broadcast of the AFL Grand Final was the most-watched program of 2025 so far, reaching 6.1 million Australians across Seven and digital streaming platform 7plus Sport. The decider between the Brisbane Lions and Geelong Cats also posted an average total TV audience of 4.08 million, up 70,000 from last year’s grand final.
Seven’s investment in digital streaming rights continued to pay dividends in its first season, with the grand final pulling in a record audience on 7plus Sport with 969,000 total viewers, up 48 per cent from last year.
The match itself was quite the watch with the two most decorated teams of the past 25 years giving it their all. With scores all locked up at 36 apiece, AFL fans all over the country were glued to the screens. But unfortunately for the Cats, the defending premiers roared, kicking 13 goals to Geelong’s six, securing a 122 to 75 victory and making the Lions the first team to go back-to-back since Richmond in 2020.
The grand final capped off a stellar AFL season on Seven and 7plus Sport. The Finals Series (excluding yesterday’s match) reached 8.7 million people, with the entire season reaching 17.4 million. More than 4.4 million Australians streamed the season on 7plus Sport.
“Following record breaking audiences, once again Australian football has solidified itself as Australia’s favourite winter sport and we couldn’t be prouder to broadcast every minute of the 2025 AFL Grand Final live, free and exclusively on Seven and 7plus,” said Seven’s head of AFL and sport innovation, Gary O’Keeffe.
“Once again, Chris Fagan’s side proved they were too strong on Australian sport’s biggest day of the year and on top of that, to see Will Ashcroft claim his second Norm Smith Medal was remarkable.
“Throughout the entire season, our 7AFL team both in front of, and behind the camera has worked tirelessly to provide Australians with the best possible broadcast, live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport.
“With 12 hours of live and free coverage on grand final day, which spanned every corner of the MCG and more, we are thrilled that Australian audiences were captivated from 7.00am with Weekend Sunrise, all the way through to the post-match celebrations and 7NEWS.
“We want to thank every viewer who has joined us across the season. From the opening bounce at the SCG, right through to the Grand Final post-match celebrations, Australians have embraced Seven and 7plus in record numbers. As we continue with a stellar AFLW season and finals series, we also look forward to returning earlier in February for AFL Origin, live and free on Seven and 7plus.”
Seven Network director of sport Chris Jones added, “Yesterday’s record result across Seven and 7plus Sport was a fitting end to an incredible 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.
“With a seven-day of the week strategy, we were bold in our ambitions for AFL coverage in 2025 and we’re thrilled to have delivered the biggest and best moments, including yesterday’s historic AFL Grand Final live and free to all Australians on Seven and 7plus Sport, your home of footy.”
As viewing audiences gradually migrate from linear broadcast to streaming, the value of digital rights will become increasingly crucial for Seven to attract larger audiences and more advertisers to the fold.
“Yesterday’s record audience on 7plus is not only a demonstration of the combination of exceptional content and user experience, but shows how Seven is redefining the way Australians consume live sport,” commented Gereurd Roberts, group managing director, Seven Digital.
“It was a fitting way to finish our first season of digital AFL rights, with almost a million new users signing up to the platform since the start of the season in March. And now we have the Bathurst 1000 and a home Ashes series to look forward to.
“The surge in our 7plus audience through the year—driven by premium sport with AFL and cricket, the best news and entertainment, and our premium on-demand lineup—is not only reshaping user behaviour but opening up exciting new opportunities for our clients and agency partners to connect with viewers in more meaningful ways.”
Showing up to Australia’s Super Bowl once again was AAMI Insurance with its ‘AAMI to the Rescue’ spot. A star-studded line-up ensured that the missing Sherrin (game ball) was returned in the nick of time to the right MCG.
“There’s no better platform to connect with audiences than the AFL Grand Final. Once again, it demonstrated its dominance by delivering an exceptional audience, solidifying its status as the number one winter sport for both viewers and brands,” said Katie Finney, Seven National Television sales director.
“Seven’s AFL coverage reached an impressive 17.4 million viewers this season, offering unmatched reach and engagement across all demographics and screens. Free, live sport is where brands can connect with audiences and cultural moments at scale.”
AFL vs NRL
The grand final just edged out the NRL’s premier event, a Game 3 decider of rugby league’s crème de la crème, State Of Origin.
The Origin decider achieved a staggering national TV reach of 5.7 million, with a national average audience of 3.9 million. It was the highest-rated Game 3 since 2013 and the most-watched Origin clash of any kind since 2016.
With the NRL’s grand final less than a week away, and interest at a new high after four-time premiers Penrith Panthers were kicked out of the running last night, media buyers and brands will be waiting with bated breath to see the results of the much-awaited match-up.
