AFL has been a mainstay on the top of the OzTam TV ratings over the 2026 season. The regular Season, which wrapped on Sunday, reached 15.5 million Australians, up from 14.6 million in 2025.
The biggest growth was seen 7plus Sport which the reach nearly doubled from 2.5 million to 4.7 million.
Seven’s live and free AFL coverage generated an average national total TV audience of 585,000, up seven per cent on the regular 2025 premiership season. Viewing on 7plus Sport soared 127 per cent to an average of 84,000. Fourteen per cent of Seven’s AFL audience watched it on 7plus Sport, up from 7 per cent in 2025.
Perth has been Seven’s fastest growing AFL market this year, with the audience there jumping 40 per cent thanks to the strong performance of the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers. Seven’s AFL audience is up 11 per cent in both Brisbane and Sydney.
All of Seven’s key prime time AFL sessions have seen growth in their total TV audiences this year, with Thursday Night Football up 19 per cent, Friday Night Football up five per cent and Sunday Night Football up one per cent.
The Fremantle Dockers v Sydney Swans match on 9 July was a standout in the 2026 season. It had 930,000 viewers, the biggest audience for a regular season prime time game since the 2022 season opener and the biggest Thursday night game in more than five years.
Other big matches so far this year included the 8 June King’s Birthday between Collingwood and Melbourne, which drew 923,000 viewers and was up seven per cent on 2025; the Fremantle Dockers v Adelaide Crows game on 14 August which had 823,000 viewers and was bigger than any Friday night broadcast in 2025; and the 5 March clash between the Sydney Swans and Carlton with 774,000 viewers, the biggest Opening Round audience since the round was introduced three years ago.
“With a record-breaking home and away season now behind us, our attention turns to the annual Legends Game for Prostate Cancer, before the inaugural Wildcard Round kicks off on Friday night, with the Western Bulldogs taking on Collingwood,” said Seven’s head of AFL and innovation, Gary O’Keeffe.
“The introduction of the Wildcard Round has kept more teams in contention and fans engaged for longer this season, with strong numbers across the board, including 7plus Sport up 127 per cent year-on-year.
“Congratulations to the Fremantle Football Club on finishing as minor premiers. We can’t wait for the Finals action to begin, and Seven is proud to be the home of the nation’s biggest footy moments, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before. You can catch every moment of the AFL Finals, live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport.”
“There is no winter sport bigger than the AFL and this year’s regular premiership season has been a runaway success, reaching an incredible 15.5 million Australians on Seven and 7plus Sport and growing its audience year-on-year,” said Seven’s director of sales, television and streaming, Katie Finney.
“The AFL continues to cement its position as one of Australia’s most powerful platforms for connecting brands with audiences, reaching more Australians in 2026 and delivering unmatched scale, engagement and impact for sponsors and advertisers across every screen. With the Finals Series kicking off this weekend, brands still have a unique opportunity to align with some of the most anticipated moments in Australian sport, from every Finals match through to the Brownlow Medal and the Grand Final, live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport.”
