Kayo drives 19% AFL audience surge as advertisers pile into Foxtel

Streaming audiences for AFL are surging, with Kayo Sports claiming a 19% year-on-year increase across Foxtel platforms and helping deliver the most-watched season in the company’s history.

The growth has helped Foxtel Media lock in a heavyweight roster of advertisers for the 2026 AFL season, including Chemist Warehouse, Sportsbet, Aussie Broadband, AAMI, Harvey Norman, KFC, McDonald’s, Jameson, Bunnings, Ford, Industry Super Fund, NAB, Toyota, Ashley & Martin, Steel Blue Boots, Coles and HBF.

Across the 2025 season, Foxtel said its platforms reached 15.1 million viewers and delivered 9.8 billion streamed minutes - yes, billion - which works out to roughly 160 million hours of AFL viewing. For advertisers, what Fox is likely trying to communicate is the new power of premium live sport to deliver scale.

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Nev Hasan, chief sales officer at Foxtel Media, said the record audience performance had strengthened the platform’s appeal to brands.

“The 2025 season was another record-breaking one for Foxtel Media. By calling every game across the round, featuring an expert commentary team, and giving our on-air presentation a fresh new feel, we delivered an unmatched premium environment,” Hasan said.

“This helped drive a massive total reach of 15.1 million over the calendar year, capturing a highly engaged audience that spends significantly more than average - 107% more on entertainment, 106% more on insurance, and 91% more on travel. The opportunity for brands is unprecedented, and the stage is set for our biggest AFL season yet in 2026.”

Foxtel Media said the audience momentum has also helped expand the advertiser base, with 22 brands joining AFL coverage for the first time this season.

The company’s growing programmatic inventory is opening premium sports placements to smaller advertisers and regional businesses, including GlanEry in Victoria, Vital Strength in New South Wales, Montgomery Homes in New South Wales, Bank WAW in Western Australia, Funlab in Victoria and Toscano’s Authentic in Victoria.

Additional tailored sponsorship packages have also been secured with brands such as Cancer Council and ABN Group in Western Australia.

Meanwhile Toyota has returned as naming rights partner of AFL Super Saturday, a broadcast property that has seen audiences grow 8% year-on-year. The 2026 season will include two additional weeks of exclusive Super Saturday coverage in South Australia and Queensland.

Foxtel said streaming audiences across its AFL coverage have now grown for seven consecutive years.

Monika Poposki, sport sales director – Melbourne and Perth at Foxtel Media, said the continued rise of streaming reflects how fans want to watch the game.

“Streaming audiences are up 14% year-on-year - marking our seventh consecutive year of growth - making it clear that footy fans are craving a premium viewing experience,” Poposki said.

“And that's exactly what we are delivering, with every game of every round broadcast in 4K, exclusively on Fox Footy.”

The strong audience growth follows a record finals series in 2025, with the preliminary final between Collingwood and Brisbane becoming the second most-watched live sport audience in Foxtel Group history and the most watched AFL game ever on the platform.