AFL grand final draws record 4.52 million average TV audience across Seven and 7plus

The AFL grand final drew a record average television audience of 4.52 million across Seven and 7plus Sport as Brisbane beat Fremantle on 26 September, according to figures reported by broadcaster Seven and the AFL. Seven said the result made the match Australia’s most-watched AFL grand final. The distinction matters because Seven also reported a reach of 6.5 million, a larger figure covering people who watched some of its grand final programming, including coverage before and after the game.

What the audience figures measure

Seven attributed its figures to overnight VOZ 5.0 National data. It described 4.52 million as the national total TV average audience for the match across its broadcast and streaming services. An average audience describes the typical audience during the measured program; it is not a count of everyone who watched any part of the day. The AFL separately reported an average above 4.52 million across Seven and 7plus and called it the biggest audience for an AFL grand final on record.

The 6.5 million reach figure has a broader scope. Seven said that measure includes its pre-match and post-match coverage, whereas its 4.52 million average refers to the match. Reach should therefore not be read as the number of people who watched the entire game. The available figures establish what Seven reported from overnight VOZ data; the underlying VOZ table was not available in the material reviewed for this report.

Seven also reported a record 1.42 million viewers on 7plus Sport. That is a streaming audience figure, separate from the combined Seven and 7plus match average. Adding it to 4.52 million would count streaming viewers again. The broadcaster said its streaming figure rose 44% from 984,000 for the 2025 grand final. TV Blackbox independently reported the 1.42 million result and described a longer rise in streaming audiences, from 655,000 in 2024 to 1.42 million in 2026.

How the record compares

The national figure masks substantial audiences in the finalists’ home cities. Citing data it said it obtained, TV Blackbox reported an average audience of 581,000 in Brisbane and 635,000 in Perth. It gave Melbourne’s audience as 1.259 million, Sydney’s as 468,000 and Adelaide’s as 352,000. Those city figures are the outlet’s reported breakdown of the match audience; they should not be treated as additional viewers on top of the national total.

Seven’s surrounding programs drew audiences of their own. Its release said the post-match presentations averaged 3.96 million viewers and reached 6 million, while pre-game entertainment averaged 1.83 million and reached 4.35 million. Those figures help explain why a reach measure covering the wider broadcast can exceed the match average. They are separate program results, not alternative totals for the game itself.

A close finish before a packed MCG

The ratings followed Brisbane’s seven-point victory over Fremantle at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Guardian’s match report recorded the score as 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) and said Brisbane scored four goals in the final four minutes after trailing by 17 points. The win gave the Lions a third consecutive premiership. Its account of the contest is available in The Guardian’s report from the MCG on Brisbane’s three-peat win over Fremantle.

The AFL reported that 100,023 people attended the match. It said that was the largest crowd for an AFL/VFL grand final between two non-Victorian clubs, surpassing the 100,013 recorded for the 2024 final. The league also said more than 350,000 people attended the free Footy Fest and grand final parade during the week. Those attendance counts describe people at events, rather than the television audience.

Chris Jones, Southern Cross Media Group’s sport director, said in Seven’s release that the result reflected audiences watching across broadcast television and digital streaming. That is the broadcaster’s assessment of its viewing figures. The reported record is supported by the published overnight comparisons, while a direct recalculation of the audience and the precise historical ranking would require the underlying VOZ data.