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ALM TV Ratings

SportsIndustryAU said:
When aggregated, average audiences for reported Live/Repeat match broadcasts of the 2026 World Cup on Australian free to air broadcaster, SBS, have 47.451m, at an average of 499,000 per match broadcast (from 95 broadcasts).

Live broadcasts have delivered an aggregate of 45.471m at an average of 579,000 per game. (7 matches have not returned data). Matches involving Australia returned an aggregate audience of 10.255m at an average of 2.563m and an average reach of 4.009m This is almost double the audience for the last World Cup where the Socceroos exited at the same point.

Matches not involving Australia had an aggregate audeince of 35.463m at an average of 473,000 per match..

The Group Stage

SBS broadcast 70 matches across the group stage, with aggregate live audiences reach 34.772m at an average of 552,000 per match. Matches involving Australia delivered an aggregated average audience of 8.308m at an average of 2.769m per match, and an average audience reach of 4.34m per match. SBS said that Cumulative Total TV reach for the tournament is now at 13.9 million

Matches not involving Australia had an aggregated average audience of 26.464m at an average of 441,000 per match. 7 live matches returned no data from various sources.
  • Average audience (Start 1-5am AEST) - 343,000 (211,000 exc Aus)
  • Average audience (start 5-10am AEST) - 514,000
  • Average audience (start 10-2pm AEST) - 720,000 (508,000 exc Aus)
The highest rating game not featuring Australia in the group stage was Brazil v Morrocco (915,000 ave accordng to VOZ, 981,000 according to SBS, 1.846m rch).

According to SBS Media Release



The Round of 32

The Round of 32 matches delivered an aggregate audience of 10.946m at an average of 684,000 per game, and an average reach of 1.528m. Australias match against Egypt attracted an audience of 1.947m and a reach of 2.997m.

Matches not involving Australia had an aggregate audience4 of 8.999m at an average of 600,000 per game, with an average reach of 1.423m.
  • Average audience (Start 1-5am AEST) - 555,000 (277,000 exc Aus)
  • Average audience (start 5-10am AEST) - 767,000
  • Average audience (start 10-2pm AEST) - 751,000
Highest rating match in the Round of 32 that didnt involve Australia was Portugal v Croatia (ave 1.092m, rch 2.124m).

Comparison to Matildas - 2023 Womens World Cup

In the 2023 Womens World Cup (in our own country and favourable viewing timezones), the Matildas had group stage audience aggregate of 5.942m on the Seven Network. Their round of 16 clash against Denmark drew 3.633m on free to air tv. The Matildas went on to have Quarter final audience of 4.013m before setting a record for Australian tv in the semi final with an average audience of 7.201m tuning in.

Notes

Its been reported that SBS paid $30 million for the exclusive rights to the whole tournament - delivering close to an aggregate of 50m viewers, with several weeks left. The value for money to SBS would be enormous. They’ve paid $30m for what will end up more than 1/3rd of the AFLs total season audience (152.59m in 2025), for which the AFL received 530m in cash.

All data: VOZ overnights or SBS/Seven.

sportsindustryau.substack.com

Aggregate World Cup audiences reach 47.451m

Thats just under 1/3rd of the 2025 AFL season in terms of viewship.
sportsindustryau.substack.com sportsindustryau.substack.com
Click to expand...
The thing that also stood out for me was the reach...

Unbelievable figures, wonders aloud if 2030 will be so cheap
 
SportsIndustryAU said:
Its been reported that SBS paid $30 million for the exclusive rights to the whole tournament - delivering close to an aggregate of 50m viewers, with several weeks left. The value for money to SBS would be enormous. They’ve paid $30m for what will end up more than 1/3rd of the AFLs total season audience (152.59m in 2025), for which the AFL received 530m in cash.

All data: VOZ overnights or SBS/Seven.

sportsindustryau.substack.com

Aggregate World Cup audiences reach 47.451m

Thats just under 1/3rd of the 2025 AFL season in terms of viewship.
sportsindustryau.substack.com sportsindustryau.substack.com
Click to expand...
And to be fair, the 1/3rd comment is understating it given (a) there are quite a few large viewership games to go in the World Cup (b) a significant proportion of games are on at 2, 3 and 4 am and do not rate at all and (c) it is likely the WC figures are understated given footballs popularity with younger generations and the traditional forms of viewership reporting favouring to older viewers.

When you review the data, it is clear how significant the football following is in Australia. Games not involving Australia, at pretty average time slots, are still outrating the AFL and NRL at the moment. Unfortunately, the popularity of football in Australia is regularly measured (by those who wish to) by its weakest point, TV audiences for the A-League. This is then compared to the their strongest point, TV audiences for NRL and AFL. This is then used to grossly undervalue the sport. Not just this world cup, but many before it and the Women's world cup in 2023, shows the huge support for football across the community. From my recollection, Channel 7 paid something like $4m for the 2023 Women's World Cup rights and yet the viewership for that tournament was gigantic (including 2 of the top 3 largest viewership in Aust of all time).

It is crazy politicians can see this data and ignore pleas for $50m for a national home of the national teams, but instead put $20m into a rugby league center of excellence in Wollongong, $600m into an NRL team in another country or throw whatever cash needed to build the stadium AFL wants in Hobart. They have even put significant funds into a NSW Rugby League center of excellence at Homebush, but will not put anything into one for the Socceroos and the dozens of other national football teams that represent the country on a global stage.
 
Midfielder said:
England v Mexico almost 3 million.

On Saturday my guess over 4: million for England V Egypt
Click to expand...
Getting crazy.

For comparison, the reach / average figures for the England Mexico game of 2.9m / 1.7m. The reach / average figures for the AFL preliminary finals last year (the week before the grand final) were:
Geelong v Hawthorn - 3.1m / 1.3m
Collingwood v Brisbane - 3.3m / 1.5m
In other words, the England v Mexico compares (and exceeds when considering average viewership) the AFL preliminary finals. And it was on at 11am on a work day.

Brazil v Norway was also very good at 1.9m / 0.8m. Kickoff at 6am on a work day....
 
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