State of Origin III smashes ratings records as QLD dominates the online narrative

This week's State of Origin decider delivered a blockbuster TV performance, with Game 3 pulling in a total TV audience of 3.9 million and reaching more than 5.6 million viewers nationally. The match was the most-watched Game 3 since 2013 and the highest-rating Origin game since 2016.

BVOD viewership also broke records, with 978,000 Australians tuning in on 9Now - edging past the Matildas’ Women’s World Cup semi-final against England to become the biggest BVOD audience of all time.

The Decider was the number 1 program nationally across all key demos, driving Nine to the top spot across metro markets. Sydney delivered a million-strong audience, while Melbourne’s numbers jumped 28% compared to Game II. Brisbane delivered 915,000 viewers.

But the TV triumph was just one part of the Origin story.

According to new data from Meltwater, online engagement surged, with more than 246,000 mentions across the series. While NSW narrowly claimed the volume battle, it was Queensland that stole the spotlight.

Billy Slater was the top name in the conversation with nearly 34,000 mentions, far outpacing NSW coach Laurie Daley. Nathan Cleary drew heavy 25,000 mentions - much of it criticism over his performance, while Cameron Munster’s promotion to captain triggered strong engagement, including 1.78 million reach from a post-match hug with Slater that ran in The Daily Telegraph.

Other moments that drove buzz included Slater’s bold decision to drop Cherry-Evans mid-series - the first Origin captain dropped this century - and Josh Papali’i’s return from representative retirement.