Cricket’s 2025-26 Ashes series has continued its strong domestic viewership performance on Australia’s free-to-air Seven Network, and pay-TV offering Foxtel, with both drawing record viewership across the second test.
The four-day showdown, which the hosts Australia won by eight wickets over England, was watched on the Seven linear channel and 7plus Sport OTT service by a cumulative 8.06 million people.
Across the four days, an average of 1.21 million watched national TV coverage of the test, up 6% on the first test’s already high figure, making it Seven Network’s highest-ever rated test played at the iconic Gabba venue, as well as its highest-ever day-night test.
In particular, the second session of the fourth and final day drew a total TV audience of 1.54 million, with a record 238,000 watching on 7plus Sport, with Seven claiming it was the most-watched program in Australia in the crucial 25-54 and 16-39 demographics.
Viewership gains continued on Foxtel, which reported that the third session of day four was its most-watched session for an individual test day across its Kayo Sports OTT platform, the Foxtel linear channel, the Foxtel Now streaming service, and the Foxtel Go app.
Speaking on the high viewership, powered by a strong Australia performance in the storied rivalry, Cricket Australia chief executive, Todd Greenberg, commented: “We were confident staging the second Ashes Test under lights at the Gabba would allow more people to attend and watch the match at this time of year, and we’re delighted by the viewing figures and attendance numbers.”
In-person attendance at the Gabba totaled 137,152 across the four days of the test, making it the best-attended Gabba test since the 2006-07 edition of The Ashes (where the Gabba test went five days), exceeding the five-day Gabba tests in the 2010-11 and 2017-18 series.
Greenberg continued: “TV and streaming audiences averaged about two million viewers, we had a packed stadium, and millions more cricket fans engaged with CA’s outstanding digital content as the Australian team again performed brilliantly.
Seven holds home test cricket rights in Australia through 2030-31 alongside Foxtel, but Foxtel is reportedly paying A$140 million ($90.2 million) annually, close to double Seven's fee each year.
The third Ashes test will begin on December 17 in Adelaide, before moving on to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the Boxing Day Test (December 26), then finishing in Sydney for the New Year’s Test (January 4).
Australia's two-day victory over England in the first test already scored high viewership on Seven and Foxtel.
