2025 AFL Grand Final Smashes Viewing Records, Dominates TV and Digital Platforms
September 28, 2025
The 2025 AFL Grand Final, broadcast by Seven Network, was the most watched program of the year, with a total TV audience of 4.08 million and reaching 6.1 million Australians across Seven and 7plus Sport.
This event's viewership was the largest for an AFL Grand Final since 2016, outperforming other major sports like State of Origin III, which had 3.76 million viewers.
The Grand Final featured the Brisbane Lions defeating the Geelong Cats to win the Premiership Cup, with a record 969,000 viewers on 7plus Sport, marking a 48% increase from the previous year.
Seven controlled 81.1% of the commercial TV audience share from 6am to 6pm, with 86.7% of BVOD viewing and 90.9% of live streaming on 7plus Sport, highlighting its dominance in sports broadcasting.
Post-match celebrations attracted 5.46 million viewers nationally, with 3.8 million watching the post-match presentations alone, and streaming on 7plus Sport reached 884,000 viewers.
Gary O’Keeffe, Head of AFL and Sport Innovation at Seven, praised the strong engagement with Australian football, reaffirming its status as Australia's favorite winter sport.
Seven executives highlighted the success of the broadcast in solidifying Australian football's popularity and emphasized their investment in live, free coverage across multiple platforms.
Gereurd Roberts, Seven’s Group Managing Director of Digital, noted the growth of 7plus Sport, with nearly a million new users since March, driven by AFL and cricket content, and discussed its role in reshaping viewer engagement and advertising.
The record streaming numbers, including nearly a million new users signing up for 7plus during the season, reflect changing viewing habits and increased digital engagement.
The Grand Final's broadcast also achieved record digital streaming numbers, with 969,000 viewers on 7plus Sport, a 48% increase from 2024.
Seven’s Director of Sport, Chris Jones, emphasized their comprehensive sports coverage for the rest of 2025, including events like Bathurst 1000, spring racing, AFLW, and the Summer of Cricket.
The broadcast team included prominent commentators such as Bruce McAvaney, Rebecca Maddern, and Shane Crawford, with additional coverage on Weekend Sunrise and 7NEWS.
Other notable ratings included The Block with 1.83 million viewers and Have You Been Paying Attention? with 609,000 viewers, with Seven dominating weekly ratings.
Summary based on 4 sources
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Sources

The West Australian • Sep 28, 2025
AFL Grand Final: Seven’s coverage of footy’s biggest day becomes most watched program of 2025
TV Tonight • Sep 28, 2025
4.08m as AFL Grand Final leads 2025
TV Blackbox • Sep 28, 2025
Did AFL GRAND FINAL 2025 break the TV ratings record?
TV Central • Sep 28, 2025
Ratings | Seven’s AFL Grand Final coverage breaks records