Ratings | Footy’s back on Seven – and it’s huge – Opening Round reaches 4.3 million, breaks records on 7plus Sport.
Footy has roared back onto Seven, with the Opening Round of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season reaching 4.3 million people on Seven and 7plus Sport and recording a 3.5% increase in its average total TV audience compared to last year.
Seven’s live and free coverage on Thursday, Friday and Sunday nights had an average national total TV audience of 655,000, up from 633,000 in 2025.
On 7plus Sport, audiences were up 135% versus last year and Thursday Night Football broke the record for the most people streaming a regular AFL season game on Seven’s digital platform.
The Thursday night blockbuster between Carlton and the Sydney Swans at the SCG reached 2.21 million people nationally and had a national total TV audience of 791,000.
That was up 21% on last year and the biggest Opening Round audience since the concept was introduced three years ago.
On 7plus Sport, Thursday Night Football averaged 133,000 viewers, up 148% year-on-year and the first time a regular AFL season game on the platform had cracked the 100,000 mark. (The 2025 AFL Grand Final between the Brisbane Lions and the Geelong Cat is the most-watched AFL game ever on 7plus Sport, with 985,000 viewers. Its total TV audience was 4.18 million.)
On Friday night, Seven’s coverage of the Gold Coast SUNS-Geelong Cats clash at People First Stadium on the Gold Coast reached 1.95 million people, with an average national total TV audience of 608,000, including 110,000 viewers on 7plus Sport, up 106% year-on-year.
Last night’s showdown between St Kilda and Collingwood at the MCG reached 1.81 million people. It delivered a national total TV audience of 577,000, including 98,000
Seven’s Head of AFL and Innovation, Gary O’Keeffe, said:
“Footy is back and what an incredible way to start the 2026 Premiership season. Opening Round saw huge audiences across Seven and 7plus Sport all weekend as fans tuned in across every corner of the country.
“With a match added in Victoria, Opening Round soared to new heights. With more than 82,000 passionate St Kilda and Collingwood fans at the MCG last night, the atmosphere was electric as the Pies clinched the narrow victory.
“Opening Round has perfectly set the tone for the remainder of the 2026 season and you can catch all the biggest moments live and free every round on Seven and 7plus Sport,”
– he said.
Seven’s National Sport Sales Director, Rob Maclean, said:
“Australian sport has never commanded more attention, and Seven sits at the centre of that conversation. A year-round calendar anchored by AFL, a cricket summer that outperformed anything we’ve seen before, and a streaming audience growing at a rate that is genuinely changing how brands think about reach – the platform we’re bringing to market in 2026 is stronger than it has ever been.
“The audience numbers for Opening Round of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season were fantastic and we’re looking forward to working with our AFL partners– including Toyota, McDonald’s, AAMI and Harvey Norman – and sponsor family on what is going to be an amazing 2026 season.
“What makes Seven’s AFL proposition unique is the depth of reach available through a single conversation across broadcast TV and streaming, which together deliver audiences that brands simply cannot replicate elsewhere. Eighty per cent of 7plus Sport’s AFL viewers each week are exclusive to the streaming platform; among 16 to 39s, that rises to more than 90%,”
– he said.
“Seven is also the only place brands can access the most coveted moment in advertising: an exclusive 30-second spot the instant a goal is scored. And as 7plus continues to experience impressive growth, more brands than ever can capitalise on this high-attention moment, delivering brands personalisation at scale to truly connect with audiences.”
2026 AFL Premiership Season Opening Round on Seven and 7plus Sport:
Thursday Night Football, Carlton vs Sydney Swans: National reach 2.21 million, national average total TV audience 791,000, including 133,000 on 7plus Sport.
Friday Night Football, Gold Coast SUNS vs Geelong Cats: National reach 1.95 million, national average total TV audience 608,000, including 110,000 on 7plus Sport.
Sunday Night Football, St Kilda vs Collingwood: National reach 1.81 million, national average total TV audience 577,000, including 98,000 on 7plus Sport.
Get involved:
7NEWS.com.au
7plus Sport
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
X
Media Release – Seven
Link to 7plus HERE
TV Central AFL content HERE
Ratings | Footy’s back on Seven – and it’s huge
