AFL grand final smashes ratings records for Channel 7 as new era of 7plus Sport begins

The Seven Network’s live, free and exclusive coverage of the AFL Grand Final captured the attention of the nation on Saturday, reaching 6.09 million Australians and becoming the most-watched program of 2024.

The Grand Final, which saw the Brisbane Lions take the premiership in a dominant 60-point victory over the Sydney Swans, captured a total TV audience of 4.024 million, including 655,000 on 7plus Sport — the biggest ever audience for an AFL match on a streaming platform. Viewing on 7plus Sport was up 44 per cent on 2023.

This year’s showdown was the most-watched AFL Grand Final since 2021 and up more than 20,000 total TV viewers on the 2023 season closer between Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions.

The AFL Grand Final now accounts for two of top three programs so far in 2024, with the Grand Final at No.1 and AFL Grand Final Presentations at No.3 (total TV audience 3.39 million, national reach 5.11 million).

The Grand Final, Presentations, On The Ground and Pre-Match Entertainment were the four most-watched programs in all people, 25 to 54s, 16 to 39s and grocery shoppers on Saturday. 7NEWS ranked No.5.

The 2024 Grand Final captured an 89.9 per cent commercial audience share in its timeslot. From 6am to 6pm on Saturday, Seven had an 81.7 per cent audience share.

7plus dominated BVOD viewing on Saturday, with 236.5 million minutes viewed, a 76.7 per cent commercial share of live streaming and a 73.2 per cent commercial BVOD share.

The Grand Final capped a high-flying 2024 Final Series on Seven.

Excluding Saturday’s match, the Final Series reached 8.5 million people, with the two preliminary finals reaching more than 3 million people each.

Seven’s AFL Grand Final by the numbers:

• AFL Grand Final: National reach 6.09 million, national total TV audience 4.024 million, including 655,000 on 7plus Sport (up 44 per cent on 2023)
• AFL Grand Final Presentations: National reach 5.11 million, national total TV audience 3.39 million
• AFL Grand Final On The Ground: National reach 3.77 million, national total TV audience 2.98 million
• AFL Grand Final Pre-Match Entertainment: National reach 3.54 million, national total TV audience 1.37 million
• AFL Grand Final Countdown: National reach 1.13 million, national total TV audience 504,000
• AFL Grand Final Brunch: National reach 974,000, national total TV audience 386,000

The AFL Grand Final and the Charles Brownlow Medal five days earlier heralded the arrival of 7plus Sport, the live and free home of the best sport in Australia.

The launch of 7plus Sport means every Australian can now live stream for free AFL matches and the best international and domestic cricket on home soil, including the upcoming Test summer between Australia and India, BBL, WBBL, the Women’s International Series and the Women’s Ashes series.

Adding AFL and cricket to Seven’s already extensive digital sport offering — which includes horse racing, boxing, Supercars, AFLW, LIV Golf, cycling, hockey, athletics, netball and much more — means Australians can now be able to watch every Seven sport, live and free on any device from anywhere in Australia at any time.

“Following one of the most unpredictable AFL seasons in recent memory, what a fitting finale it was,” Seven Network Director of Sport Chris Jones said.

“Chris Fagan, who is one of the best people in the industry, has overcome so much through his entire career and has now led his Lions to premiership glory.

“Congratulations to the players and thank you on behalf of our production team to everyone within the AFL who allowed us to tell their stories.

“As we finish the 2024 season, we have our sights set firmly on a bigger and better 2025 AFL Premiership Season with more programming and analysis than ever before. And like Saturday’s Grand Final, every game we cover live will be streamed for free on 7plus Sport. It’s going to be massive.”

Gereurd Roberts, Group Managing Director, Seven Digital:

“The record-breaking number of people who watched the AFL Grand Final on 7plus Sport clearly demonstrates how the addition of AFL and cricket to 7plus will forever change the way Australians watch and engage with sport, and create unprecedented opportunities for our clients and agency partners.

“We’ve always said the arrival of AFL and cricket on 7plus would be a defining moment in the digital streaming revolution, and Saturday’s numbers prove that.

“With a massive summer of cricket to come, including five Tests between Australia and India, Australians can now watch every Seven sport, live and free on any device from anywhere in the country, at any time. And the weekend’s Grand Final shows just how important that is to them.”

Katie Finney, Seven National Television Sales Director:

“The AFL once again proved to be the No.1 winter sport for audiences and brands. Seven’s AFL coverage reached 6.09 million viewers, offering unparalleled reach and engagement across all demographics and with AFL now streaming live and free on 7plus Sport in 2025, it’s set to grow even further.

“Free live sport is where brands can connect with audiences and cultural moments at scale, and the biggest events this summer are on Seven and 7plus Sport, including the upcoming Bathurst 1000 in two weeks and the Australia vs India Test match starting 22 November,” she said.

Gary O’Keeffe, Seven’s Head of AFL and Sport Innovation:

“In a fantastic story for football in Australia’s northern states, we are thrilled to have captured every corner of the nation on Australian sport’s biggest day.

“Footy is in our DNA, and Seven’s coverage showcase the entertainment and passion of the AFL competition like no one else. We thank the AFL, its players, Clubs and most importantly the fans whose passion for the game drives everything we do at 7AFL.”