The Women’s State of Origin opener has outshone Thursday night’s AFL clash in the TV ratings war, drawing nearly double the free-to-air audience of Essendon v North Melbourne.
Channel 9’s broadcast of the Suncorp Stadium showdown pulled in 927,000 viewers across the country, comfortably eclipsing the 455,000 who tuned in to watch the AFL.
The number was just shy of last year’s game one tally of 941,000 and marked the most-watched rugby league match on free-to-air so far this year.
Record crowds, rising reach, and dominant demos
NSW’s 31-12 win over Queensland also had a national reach of more than two million, dominating its time slot and topping the charts with viewers aged 16–39 and 25–54. Viewership on Channel 9’s streaming platform rose by 16.2%, with 172,000 tuning in on demand.
“Women’s Rugby League continues to break records,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said. “The highest ever crowd for a Women’s State of Origin game was complemented by a really strong viewership. Thursday night’s game was the highest-rated free-to-air rugby league game this year. The players keep producing great football, and the fans are responding.”
A record 26,022 fans turned up to Suncorp Stadium, breaking the previous year’s figure by a few hundred. Blues captain Isabelle Kelly has already thrown down the gauntlet to fans ahead of game two in Sydney.
“I think Allianz is the stadium to do that (break the record),” Kelly said. “It’s in Sydney, where a lot of people love to watch rugby league. I think after the game that was just displayed (at Suncorp Stadium), there will be a lot of people who will want to come watch that one.”
The figures back a growing appetite for women’s rugby league, which also saw strong numbers for the Jillaroos’ Las Vegas match against England earlier this year, drawing over 800,000 despite a one-sided scoreline.