Leading brands have seized the opportunity to support women’s rugby league, with three of Australia’s biggest names coming on board to sponsor the NRLW 2025 season on Foxtel.
With the season now underway, Harvey Norman, KFC, and Westpac have secured major sponsorship packages, backing Australia’s elite players while capitalising on the growing fanbase. Viewership across Foxtel platforms rose by 38 per cent year-on-year from 2023 to 2024.
Gone are the days were women were once invisible in the world of professional sports. In the 2025 Women’s State of Origin series records were smashed, providing golden opportunity’s for brands.
Game One of the 2025 series, held in Brisbane, drew a record in-stadium crowd of 26,022 fans. It also became the most-watched free-to-air rugby league game of the season at the time, across both men’s and women’s codes, with an average national audience of 927,000 and a reach nearing 2 million on Nine’s broadcast and streaming platforms.
Following the completion of the State of Origin series all eyes are now on the NRLW competition that kicked-off at the start of July. The 2025 season plays host to 12 teams, with the introduction of the Bulldogs who has made its mark on the competition, winning both its inaugural games, as well as the reintroduction of the Warriors following a five year absence.
Harvey Norman returns for a second season as naming-rights partner of NRLW on Fox, the dedicated program that dissects every moment of on-field action. The partnership includes in-studio branding and branded graphic swipes, along with exclusive ownership of key broadcast segments such as Player to Watch, Player of the Match, the Harvey Norman Replay (following each try), and full-time game highlights.
Harvey Norman’s support of the NRLW, being the major sponsor of the competition since its inception, has helped the series grow three-fold from four teams in 2018 to today’s 12-strong ladder.
KFC owns Naming Rights for LIVE game day hostings, which also includes in-studio branding and branded graphic swipes and exclusive ownership of key broadcast segments. Additionally, KFC sponsors the KFC FLG Moment segment during halftime and the Try Conversion premium graphic, which displays the KFC logo after a successful try conversion. Andie Robinson from the Canterbury Bulldogs will also feature in the KFC Player Interview segment on the NRLW on Fox show.
Mirroring its NRL sponsorship, Westpac owns the premium Westpac Redzone Tackle Opp 20 graphic and Bringin’ the Footy graphic. It will also feature in four player interviews and benefit from content amplification on NRLW on Fox, spotlighting Olivia Kernick, Keeley Davis, Yasmin Clydesdale, and Chelsea Lenarduzzi.
All three major sponsors will enjoy VIZ pull throughs which showcase custom branded messaging and shared billboards across live games and NRLW on Fox.
“Women’s sport has seen a remarkable rise in popularity in recent years, resonating with audiences across all demographics. The NRLW is no exception, and with the help of our NRLW on Fox program we’re working with brands that are keen to continue building profiles for these athletes and bring them closer to fans,” said Jackson Forbes, head of sport, Sydney, Foxtel Media
“The NRLW has established itself as a standout fixture on Australia’s sporting calendar and the successful expansion coupled with our unmatched coverage has been key in driving this growth.
“Our research shows that viewers of women’s sport are among the most engaged, with four in five recalling brands featured in women’s codes, making it a uniquely powerful space for influence. As the leading sports broadcaster and home to 80 per cent of women’s sport content, we’re committed to growing all codes and delivering code-relevant talent to connect with fans in a meaningful way.”
