The 2021 AFL finals series has kicked goals on the Seven Network, scoring the three highest football audiences of the year.
Across the weekend, Seven’s finals coverage averaged 1.01 million viewers nationally and 787,000 in the capital cities – up 5% and 12% respectively on week one of the 2019 finals series. The opening four finals games of Australia’s number one winter sport reached 4.41 million people.
Melbourne’s average audience was up 14% on 2019, while the Sydney audience soared 110% increase and Adelaide was up 26%.
Saturday night’s Melbourne v. Brisbane qualifying final recorded the highest national audience of the 2021 season, with an average 1.053 million viewers tuning into Seven’s live and free coverage. This was up 3% on the opening Saturday night match of the 2019 finals series between Brisbane and Richmond.
The match attracted an average audience of 822,000 in the capital cities, up 7% on the 2019 Brisbane-Richmond final, while Seven’s coverage was also up 12% in Melbourne, 46% in Sydney and 22% in Adelaide.
Friday night’s Port Adelaide-Geelong qualifying final scored the second highest national audience of the 2021 season, with an average 1.05 million viewers enjoying the Power’s 43-point victory.
The season’s opening final scored the highest capital city audience of 2021, with an average 841,000 fans enjoying the Power’s dominant win over the Cats. This was up 3% on 2019’s opening Friday night final between competition heavyweights Geelong and Collingwood, while Seven’s audiences in Adelaide and Sydney also spiked 54% and 28% respectively.
Sunday afternoon’s Western Bulldogs v Essendon elimination final was 2021’s third biggest match overall and biggest day fixture, with Seven’s coverage averaging 1.03 million nationally and 789,000 in the capital cities.
Saturday afternoon’s GWS Giants v Sydney Swans elimination final scored an average national audience of 895,000, which was up 17% on the corresponding 2019 finals fixture between the Giants and Western Bulldogs.
Seven’s average capital city audience of 693,000 for the match was up 25% on the 2019 Saturday afternoon final, with Sydney’s audience up 202% and Brisbane up 48%.
