Kayo Sports delivers record AFL streaming audiences in 2025

The 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season has gone down as the biggest yet for Kayo Sports, with audiences turning out in record numbers for Fox Footy’s expanded coverage.

According to Foxtel Group data, AFL viewership on Kayo lifted 19% year-on-year, with fans watching 7.37 billion minutes of football across the season - a 12% increase on last year.

It’s the seventh straight year of audience growth on the platform, and the fourth year in a row of gains across Foxtel’s wider streaming and broadcast services including Binge, Foxtel Now and Foxtel.

Rights deal delivers new features

The results come off the back of the AFL’s new broadcast rights deal, which kicked in this season. Fans had more ways to watch than ever, with Fox Footy offering every match ad-break free during play, enhanced graphics, bespoke commentary, and for the first time, full-season coverage in 4K.

Fox Footy general manager Michael Neill said the changes have reshaped how audiences experience the game.

“The first year of our historic AFL rights deal has set a new benchmark for AFL broadcasting. Record audiences and four consecutive years of growth show that fans are embracing the way we’re producing footy.

"From every match in 4K Ultra HD and ad-break free during play, to Fox Footy’s all-star commentary team, we’re shaping a new era of AFL broadcasting that connects more Australians to the game, however they choose to watch. And the excitement is only building as we head into this year’s finals," Neill said.

Standout matches and team performances

Some of the biggest viewing spikes this year came from prime-time scheduling and blockbuster clashes:

• Thursday and Friday night matches with Fox Footy’s dedicated coverage grew 22% and 9% respectively, year-on-year.

• The Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn Hawks season opener became the most streamed AFL opening match of all time.

• Round 21’s Collingwood Magpies vs Brisbane Lions clash set a new benchmark as the most-streamed AFL game ever.

Collingwood, Carlton and Hawthorn were the most watched clubs of the year, with the Magpies’ matchups against Adelaide, Brisbane and Geelong topping the audience charts.

Gather Round in Adelaide also recorded its strongest audience since it launched in 2023.

Growth across the states

While Victoria remains AFL’s traditional base, the strongest audience growth came from interstate markets.

Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia all saw double-digit year-on-year lifts for teams including the Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns, North Melbourne Kangaroos and Hawthorn Hawks.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the figures reflect a widening appetite for the game: “We’ve seen terrific growth in the game this year, and Kayo’s uplifted numbers across the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season have played a big part in that. It shows the appetite for footy is stronger than ever, and by reaching more fans through broadcast and digital platforms, we’re continuing to make the footy accessible to more Australians in more ways than ever before.”

The momentum now carries into September with the AFL Finals Series kicking off on Thursday 4 September.

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