The 2025 NRL Grand Final, the climax to the Australian and New Zealand rugby league season, delivered record-breaking viewership for commercial broadcaster Channel Nine to become Australia’s most-watched program of 2025 so far.
Nine has now announced that the match, which saw the Brisbane Broncos lift the trophy after a dramatic 26-22 victory over Melbourne Storm yesterday, drew a national total TV reach of 6.41 million and an average audience of 4.46 million – a 33% increase from last year’s title match, which had an audience of 3.36 million.
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This year’s game also broke streaming records, pulling in 1.31 million viewers on Nine’s 9Now service.
The combined figures make the match Australia’s most-watched event of the year so far, beating the Australian rules AFL grand final between the Brisbane Lions and Geelong, which drew 4.18 million viewers the previous week.
The women’s NRLW grand final between the Sydney Roosters and Broncos, meanwhile, also broke viewership records for Nine, with a total TV audience of 1.03 million – up 36% on last year’s flagship match. The women’s decider was also broadcast on pay-TV broadcaster Foxtel.
Amanda Laing, Nine's managing director of streaming and broadcast, has now said: “This year's phenomenal ratings are a testament to Nine's unwavering commitment to being the true home of rugby league.
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By GlobalData“We believe the greatest game of all should be accessible to everyone, and by providing that universal, free-to-air access, we are helping to grow the sport's fan base in every corner of the country. To see that commitment reflected in record-breaking audience numbers is incredibly rewarding.”
Nine is the exclusive free-to-air home of the NRL, the NRL Grand Final, and the iconic State of Origin series between New South Wales Blues and Queensland Maroons, as part of a deal running through 2027.
That agreement, worth a total A$1.7 billion ($1.05 billion) over the length of the contract, sees Foxtel hold the main rights to the league, airing all eight games each round, with five exclusive games each weekend, across its linear channel and Kayo Sports streaming platform.
Viewership for the final in New Zealand also grew, delivering an average audience of 181,000 – up 15% year-on-year.
The NRL has stated that, across the board, 2025 has been one of the NRL’s strongest broadcast seasons, with the combined viewership average for regular season and finals games reaching 614,000 per match, up 11.5% year-on-year.
The finals series averaged more than 1.1 million viewers per game, while the preliminary final between the Broncos and Penrith Panthers drew 1.8 million – up 53% year-on-year.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo added: “We've had a phenomenal season, we've broken records, the response from our fans has been incredible, and that's because the football has been incredible.
“We have Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney represented, and we have the New Zealand Warriors and the Burleigh Bears represented in the State Championships, so that's three massive games of football.”
Meanwhile, the NRL has extended its partnership with pharmaceutical retailer Chemist Warehouse, covering the men’s and women’s competitions.
The renewal will see Chemist Warehouse remain the official pharmacy partner of the league until 2029, continuing a partnership that was originally struck in 2018.
Under the new agreement, Chemist Warehouse will continue to support fan engagement initiatives, including the NRL Fan Zone, which features activations, skill-based challenges, and meet-and-greet opportunities with players.
Mario Tascone, deputy chief executive of Chemist Warehouse, said: “This decade-long alliance speaks to the strength of our relationship and our shared values. We’re excited to keep delivering value, connection, and wellness to the rugby league community, from grassroots to grand final.”
