Nearly a quarter of Aussies (6.09 million) tuned in to watch the Brisbane Lions dismantle the Sydney Swans by 120 to 60.
The decider posted an average total TV audience of 4.02 million, making it the most watched TV program in 2024 and the most streamed AFL encounter in history (655,000), according to Seven.
This betters Nine’s coverage of State of Origin III, which attracted more than 5.4 million viewers and an average of 3.65 million viewers, although the rugby league encounter drew more punters to the network’s BVOD, 9Now, with 864,000 watching it via streaming.
Seven’s top brass will be pleased by how much the 7plus has audience has grown in only a year, up by 44 per cent on the AFL grand final in 2023.
Seven Digital group managing director Gereurd Roberts said the record-breaking figures who watched the AFL Grand Final on 7plus Sport will “forever change the way Australians watch and engage with sport, and create unprecedented opportunities for our clients and agency partners”.
“We’ve always said the arrival of AFL and cricket on 7plus would be a defining moment in the digital streaming revolution, and Saturday’s numbers prove that,” he added.
“With a massive summer of cricket to come, including five Tests between Australia and India, Australians can now watch every Seven sport, live and free on any device from anywhere in the country, at any time.”
Australia’s Super Bowl moment
The AFL grand final usually attracts the largest TV audience of the year with few notable exceptions, such as the Matildas Women’s World Cup finals and Olympics Games sessions that are broadcast in viewer-friendly timezones. This is due to the AFL’s broad appeal to fans across every state of Australia and Seven’s dominance in several rural parts of the nation.
This has made the big dance one of the hottest tickets for AFL fans and advertisers, with several large brands, including Toyota, Uber and AAMI, dropping huge campaigns during the event.
“Advertising during the AFL Grand Final offers brands a rare opportunity to capture the attention of millions in a single moment, aligning their message with the passion, excitement, and loyalty that define one of Australia’s biggest sporting events,” OMD chief investment officer Marelle Salib told B&T.
“Unsurprisingly, this opportunity carries a premium price tag generally starting at $140,000-plus for a national advertiser.”
Peter Stowe, the head of trading at Sanctuary Media Group, almost predicted the total TV audience last week by suggesting an average of 4.15 million would watch the game. He was short by 130,000, about the size of Darwin, but was right when he said that the decider would break 7plus records.
A previous AFL grand final media buyer, Stowe said the range of the spot rate could vary from $120,000 for a 30 second spot in Melbourne to north of $400,000 for a national spot.
That’s not bad going for a grand final featuring two teams east of the Barassi line, where rugby league is the dominant sporting code. Over to you, rugby league.
Ten largest TV events of 2024 (ranked by average audience)
| Network | Program | Total TV Reach | Total TV Average Audience |
| 1. Seven | AFL Grand Final | 6.09 million | 4.02 million |
| 2. Nine | State of Origin III | 5.40 million | 3.65 million |
| 3. Nine | State of Origin I | 5.31 million | 3.44 million |
| 4. Nine | State of Origin II | 5.19 million | 3.26 million |
| 5. Nine | Paris Olympics Day 2 Night | 5.74 million | 2.33 million |
| 6. Nine | Australian Open Men’s Final | 4.77 million | 2.12 million |
| 7. Nine | Paris Olympics Day 3 Night | 5.69 million | 2.06 million |
| 8. Nine | Paris Olympics Day 4 Night | 5.46 million | 2.04 million |
| 9. Nine | Paris Olympics Day 9 Night | 4.98 million | 1.97 million |
| 10. Nine | Paris Olympics Day 5 Night | 5.33 million | 1.89 million |
