NRL Reigns Supreme in Record-Breaking Season

The National Rugby League (NRL) has closed its 2025 season with record-breaking television and streaming audiences, highlighting both the sport’s growing popularity and Nine Entertainment in Australian sports broadcasting.

The NRL Grand Final between the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm achieved the highest Total TV audience in VOZ history, reaching 6.4 million viewers nationally and averaging 4.46 million, a 33% year-on-year increase.

The match also broke broadcast video-on-demand (BVOD) records, with 1.316 million viewers on 9Now, marking the platform’s strongest performance for any live event to date.

The women’s competition mirrored this success, with the NRLW Grand Final between the Roosters and Broncos drawing 1.032 million viewers, up 36% year-on-year, reflecting the sport’s deepening audience engagement across genders and markets.

NRL Strategy Towards Streaming Success

Nine’s record performance reinforces its commercial value proposition as the exclusive free-to-air home of rugby league, strengthening its advertising leverage and positioning ahead of future rights negotiations. The surge in BVOD engagement also highlights a shifting consumption trend that benefits hybrid broadcast-streaming networks like Nine.

Sharing how the network’s investment in storytelling and accessibility had expanded rugby league’s reach, Nine’s managing director of Streaming & Broadcast, Amanda Laing, said: “We believe the greatest game of all should be accessible to everyone… by providing universal, free-to-air access, we are helping to grow the sport’s fan base in every corner of the country.”

Crediting the collaboration with the NRL and players for the success, Nine’s Director of Sport, Brent Williams, expressed: “Their world-class performances captivated the nation… their generosity in providing access for interviews and features has allowed us to showcase the personalities and stories behind the game.”

The results signal not only a record season for the NRL but also a broader validation of Nine’s integrated broadcast and digital strategy one that is redefining the commercial landscape of live sports in Australia.

Growth Across all Screens and Programming

Across the 2025 season, the NRL posted double-digit gains across broadcast and digital platforms. Average Total TV audiences per match rose 11.5% to 614,000, the highest in VOZ history, while BVOD audiences climbed an unprecedented 101.8%.

The Finals series averaged over 1.1 million viewers per game, up 33%, with the Broncos vs Penrith Panthers Preliminary Final setting an all-time record of 1.8 million.

Nine’s broader NRL programming also benefited from this momentum, with 100% Footy audiences increasing 66% year-on-year, and NRL Sunday Footy Show reaching 3.6 million viewers.

The newly broadcast Freddy and the Eighth series recorded consistent weekly audiences across Sydney and Brisbane.

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