2025 AFL season sees record growth on Kayo Sports – The 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season was the most-watched AFL season ever on Kayo SPORTS.
Audiences on Kayo SPORTS grew by 19% year-on-year, with fans streaming 7.37 billion minutes of footy across the season, up 12% year-on-year. This marks the seventh consecutive year of audience growth on Kayo SPORTS and fourth consecutive year of growth across Foxtel Group platforms including Kayo SPORTS, BINGE, FOXTEL Now and FOXTEL.
The milestone comes in the first year of the AFL’s new rights deal that saw audiences given more choice than ever in how they watch the AFL with Fox Footy on Kayo SPORTS and FOXTEL, offering no ad-breaks during play and, for the first time, every game with bespoke graphics, dedicated commentary and in 4K.
General Manager of Fox Footy, Michael Neill said:
“The first year of our historic AFL rights deal has set a new benchmark for AFL broadcasting. Record audiences and four consecutive years of growth show that fans are embracing the way we’re producing footy.
“From every match in 4K Ultra HD and ad-break free during play, to Fox Footy’s all-star commentary team, we’re shaping a new era of AFL broadcasting that connects more Australians to the game, however they choose to watch. And the excitement is only building as we head into this year’s finals.”
Other audience highlights from the season include:
- Thursday and Friday Night Footy, which featured Fox Footy’s dedicated commentary and graphics for the first time, saw audiences lift 22% and 9% year-on-year.
- The Opening Round match between Sydney Swans and Hawthorn Hawks was the most streamed season opener of all time.
- Round 21’s Collingwood Magpies versus Brisbane Lions match was the most-streamed AFL match ever.
- The most watched teams of the season were Collingwood Magpies, Carlton Blues and Hawthorn Hawks, with Collingwood’s powerhouse clashes against the Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions and Geelong Cats the most watched games.
- Gather Round in Adelaide achieved its highest audience since inception in 2023.
While Victoria remains AFL’s heartland, some of the biggest audience lifts across the 2025 season came from Queensland, South Australian and Western Australian clubs and markets.
Following strong performances this season, Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, and Gold Coast Suns all recorded double digit audience growth year-on-year, alongside North Melbourne Kangaroos and Hawthorn Hawks.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said:
“We’ve seen terrific growth in the game this year, and Kayo’s uplifted numbers across the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season have played a big part in that. It shows the appetite for footy is stronger than ever, and by reaching more fans through broadcast and digital platforms, we’re continuing to make the footy accessible to more Australians in more ways than ever before.”
The footy action continues with the AFL Finals Series kicking off from Thursday 4 September 2025. Every game of the AFL Finals Series up until the Grand Final will be broadcast LIVE, in 4K and ad-break free during play on Kayo SPORTS and FOXTEL, with dedicated Fox Footy commentary.
Media Release – Kayo
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2025 AFL season sees record growth on Kayo Sports
