AFL stretches lead over NRL in TV viewership despite NRL’s rise
The latest data from Roy Morgan shows over 9.1 million Australians aged 14+ (40%) watched AFL matches on TV either occasionally or regularly in 2024 including AFL pre-season games, AFL Home & Away games, AFL Finals, the AFL Women’s competition or the show-piece AFL Grand Final.
Overall TV viewership of the AFL was up in 2024, by 341,000 (+3.9%) to 9,102,000, and the growth was powered by increases in both male and female viewership, up 197,000 (+4.0%) to 5,078,000 for men and up 144,000 (+3.7%) to 4,024,000 for women on a year earlier.
The most popular TV product for the AFL is the Grand Final which had TV viewership of 7,569,000 in 2024, up 319,000 (+4.4%) from 2023.
While the AFL enjoyed increases in all its key TV products, the overall TV viewership in 2024 of its northern rival, the NRL, was up 328,000 (+4.7%) to 7,315,000 (32% of Australians aged 14+).
There were increases in TV viewership of the NRL for both genders with 4,314,000 men watching the NRL in 2024, up 170,000 (+4.1%) and 3,001,000 women watching the NRL, up 158,000 (+5.6%).
The NRL State of Origin remains the most viewed product for the NRL with 6,070,000 viewers tuning in, up 182,000 (+3.1%) from 2023. However, NRL Grand Final TV viewership saw an increase to around 5,697,000 viewers, up 230,000 (+4.2%) from 2023.
The findings are from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, Australia’s most trusted and comprehensive consumer survey, derived from in-depth interviews with 60,000 Australians each year.
TV Viewership of the AFL vs. NRL by Gender: 2023 vs. 2024
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source, January – December 2023, n=64,994, January – December 2024, n=64,823. Base: Australians 14+.
Both the AFL and NRL’s largest audiences are people aged under 35
TV viewership of the AFL is largest amongst younger Australians with 2,671,000 viewers aged under 35 in 2024, up 121,000 (+4.8%) from 2023. The second largest viewer group of the AFL is people aged 65+ at 2,169,000, up 133,000 (+6.5%) on a year earlier. These two age groups also drove the overall increase in AFL TV viewership.
Similarly, the NRL’s largest viewing audience is people aged under 35 at 2,090,000, up 39,000 (+1.9%) on a year ago. This age group is followed by people aged 35-49 at 1,787,000, up 91,000 (+5.4%) from 2023.
While the younger age groups make up the majority of NRL TV viewers, it is people aged 50-64 and 65+ that are driving the overall increase in NRL TV viewership, which was up in 2024 by 92,000 (+5.6%) and up 105,000 (+6.6%) on 2023 respectively for these age groups.
TV Viewership of the AFL vs. NRL by Age: 2023 vs. 2024
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source, January – December 2023, n=64,994, January – December 2024, n=64,823. Base: Australians 14+.
The northern states were the key drivers of both NRL and AFL TV viewership growth in 2024
TV viewership of the AFL is largest amongst Victorians with 3,488,000 viewers in 2024, up 173,000 (+5.2%) from 2023. The second largest TV viewer state of the AFL is NSW with 1,961,000 viewers, up 104,000 (+5.6%), followed by QLD, with 1,290,000 viewers, up 72,000 (+5.9%) on a year earlier.
While NSW and QLD are traditionally NRL states, with only 26.1% and 27.7% of people in the respective states’ tuning in to the AFL in 2024, both states were key pillars in driving the overall increase in AFL TV viewership. In NSW, the AFL Grand Final contributed to NSW’s overall growth in AFL TV viewership, with 1,539,000 viewers, up 102,000 (+7.1%) from 2023. The AFL Regular Season also was a key driver with 1,172,000 viewers, up 74,000 (+6.8%). Similarly, the AFL Grand Final contributed to QLD’s overall growth, with 1,084,000 viewers, up 59,000 (+5.8%) from 2023.
Contrastingly, the NRL’s largest viewing state is NSW with 3,340,000 viewers in 2024, up 174,000 (+5.5%) on 2023, followed by QLD, with 2,148,000, up 63,000 (+3.0%) on a year earlier. While growth is strong among NSW and QLD, the traditional AFL state of WA has also helped drive overall growth in NRL TV viewership in 2024, with 431,000 viewers, up 25,000 (+6.0%) from 2023. In WA, the NRL product with the most growth was the NRL Finals, with 232,000 viewers, up 31,000 (+15.3%) from 2023.
Julian McCrann, Roy Morgan’s Industry Communications Director, says the AFL and NRL achieved all time-high TV viewership records in 2024 powered by increases across all key demographics including gender, age and the key growth states of New South Wales and Queensland:
“Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the NRL and the AFL have both enhanced the TV viewership experience for their audiences and are continually developing ways to expand their markets.
“The AFL’s introduction of ‘Opening Round’ in 2024 encouraged viewers from traditionally NRL-loyal states to turn on the TV and watch their respective Queensland or NSW club play at their home grounds. This new round, along with the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans reaching the 2024 AFL Grand Final – the first Grand Final in 18 years with no Victorian team in the mix – has spurred impressive growth in TV viewership in both northern states.
“These factors helped drive a 3.7% increase (up 341,000 people) in overall AFL TV viewership on 2023, with the code’s leading TV product, the AFL Grand Final, experiencing a 4.4% increase (up 319,000 people) on a year earlier.
“The NRL also experienced a successful year with their inaugural event in Las Vegas attracting many viewers. NSW was the top state contributing to the NRL’s overall TV viewership growth in 2024, and had a good year on the park with NSW victorious against QLD in the State of Origin and Sydney’s Penrith Panthers winning their fourth consecutive NRL premiership.
“The NRL’s second leading TV product in 2024, the NRL Grand Final, helped drive the increase in overall TV viewership, with the Grand Final boasting a 4.2% increase (up 230,000 people) on 2023.
“The AFL grew their TV viewership amongst key demographics including men (up 4%), people aged 65+ (up 6.5%) and those aged under 35 (up 4.8%). Key demographics driving NRL TV viewership growth included women (up 5.6%), people aged 50-64 (up 5.6%) and people aged 65+ (up 6.6%).
“Comparing the TV viewership of the two televised leagues, the AFL’s greatest advantage is the edge the league enjoys with women. 4,024,000 women watch the AFL on TV compared to 3,001,000 watching the NRL – a gap of over 1 million viewers in the AFL’s favour. The AFL also has a significant advantage for people aged under 35: AFL (2,671,000) compared to the NRL (2,090,000) – a difference of 581,000. Nonetheless, the NRL experienced growth in both demographics, particularly among women (up 5.6%).
“Zooming out to review a wider perspective shows that both of Australia’s leading winter sports continue to innovate to retain, and grow, TV viewership in key demographics. The NRL’s five-year deal to play matches in Las Vegas, and the AFL’s ‘Opening Round’ – now in its second year – are recent examples of the leagues trying new ideas and concepts to attract new audiences to their respective sports.
“The AFL’s drive to innovate and grow the game led to the league signing an Australian record $4.5 billion 7-year TV broadcasting deal in late 2022 which has just begun and runs from 2025-2031. Both the AFL and NRL will be looking to retain the gains made in 2024 and build on their success going forward. Overall, it is a very exciting time for sports entertainment and its evolution, with both sporting codes constantly testing out new ideas to amplify the sports viewer experience.”
For comments or more information about Roy Morgan’s AFL & NRL Supporter profiles and other Sporting profiles data, please contact:
Roy Morgan Enquiries
Office: +61 (3) 9224 5309
askroymorgan@roymorgan.com
Related research findings
View our extensive range of Sport profiles and reports, including Sports supporters, AFL supporters, NRL supporters, Soccer supporters and supporters of various AFL clubs including St. Kilda, Richmond, Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn, Sydney Swans, Adelaide Crows, GWS Giants as well as profiles on Sporting participants including Australian Football participants and Sports viewers.
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
