Saturday’s AFL Grand Final has smashed television records, with 4.52 million Australians tuning in across Seven and 7plus Sport to watch the Brisbane Lions defeat the Fremantle Dockers.
The match was the most-watched AFL Grand Final in history and Australia’s biggest television program of 2026, according to figures released by Seven.
Brisbane’s seven-point win over Fremantle reached 6.5 million people, with a record 1.42 million watching on 7plus Sport, up 44% on last year. The match was also Australia’s most-watched television program of 2026, according to data provided by Seven.
Seven said the number of people who watched the match across its broadcast and streaming services rose 8% on 2025. The post-match presentations recorded a total TV audience of 3.96 million, up 18%, while the pregame entertainment drew 1.83 million, up 20%.
The network said it held an 86% commercial audience share among all people from 6am to 6pm on Saturday. It put 7plus’s share of the broadcast video-on-demand audience at 85.6% for the day.
Southern Cross Media Group’s Director of Sport, TV, Audio and Streaming, Chris Jones, said: “With a record 1.42 million Australians streaming the Grand Final on 7plus Sport, the continued growth of both broadcast television and digital streaming demonstrates the extraordinary strength of Seven across every screen.”
Seven’s Director of Sales, Television and Streaming, Katie Finney, pointed to the result as evidence of live sport’s value to advertisers. “Free, live sport is where brands can connect with audiences and cultural moments at scale,” she said.
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Seven said its AFL Finals Series, excluding the Grand Final, reached 9.1 million people. Across the full season, including Saturday’s match, it reported a reach of 18.5 million and an average total TV audience of 681,000, up 9% on 2025.
The figures give Seven a strong result to take into its next run of major sports coverage, with the Bathurst 1000 and Rugby League World Cup among the events ahead.
From Mediaweek