NRL claims No.1 sport mantle with 10 per cent more viewers than AFL

The NRL will market itself to Americans as Australia’s most-watched sport during its second foray into Las Vegas, claiming to have 10 per cent more viewers than the AFL after cracking the 200 million viewership mark for the first time.

The governing body trumpeted a $62.3 million operating surplus at its annual general meeting on Friday. It is the fourth consecutive surplus posted since COVID-19, totalling $226.5 million during the period.

The period has boosted net assets to $322.4 million, up 24 per cent on the previous year. That marks a total revenue increase of $43.7 million to a new record of $744.9 million.

The NRL has long been in a battle with the AFL for the mantle of Australia’s top football code and the 13-man game has claimed victory in the battle for viewers. The NRL claims to have a cumulative match viewership over all competitions of 200.5 million in 2024 - comprising 186.8 million Australian viewers and 13.7 million from New Zealand - to post a total 8.6 per cent higher than the previous year.

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