Perth has embraced State of Origin, with more television viewers tuning in to game II than both AFL matches played at the same venue over the weekend combined.
Queensland’s thrilling 26-24 win at Optus Stadium was the highest-rating game II since 2015, pulling a total audience of 3.751 million – a 17.5 per cent increase year-on-year. That figure was a smidgen lower than the 3.755 million that tuned in for the opening game, which remains the highest-rating program of the year.
However, the most encouraging result for league bosses was the response in the west. Despite being almost totally snubbed by the AFL-aligned West Australian newspaper – owned by Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media, which broadcasts AFL – the match recorded the highest-ever TV total audience for an Origin match in Perth.
The locals voted with their TV remotes, with 190,000 tuning in across Perth to watch the Maroons send the series to a decider. That was on top of the 57,023 fans that packed into Optus Stadium, just shy of the venue’s 61,266 capacity.
To put those viewing figures into context, 82,000 viewers tuned into the North Melbourne-Fremantle clash at Optus on Saturday night via free-to-air on the Seven Network. On Sunday, 90,000 watched West Coast Eagles-Carlton on Seven (those figures don’t include Kayo/Fox viewership).
“The incredible match was the perfect showcase for rugby league in the state and the excitement we want to bring sporting fans with the Perth Bears,” said Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie.
“I was fortunate to spend a lot of time among the fans with [Bears coach] Mal Meninga and the buzz about the Bears was simply electric. Sports fans can’t wait.”
Origin II also recorded a streaming audience of 957,000 on 9Now, up 29.5 per cent year-on-year. The total reach for the match was 5.467 million.
In another significant win for Nine – the owners of this masthead – its news bulletin on Monday night beat Seven news for viewership in Perth for the first time this year.
The NRL will head into broadcast negotiations with two new teams for its next rights cycle; the Perth Bears will enter the competition in 2027, with PNG introduced a year later.
There was barely any mention of Origin in the Perth press in the lead up to the event. The only article in The West Australian ran at the back of the sport section beside escort service advertisements.
However, the strong response in Perth only adds to the NRL’s boast that rugby league – not AFL – is the most watched sport in Australia.
“State of Origin is a massive international sporting event and the audience growth across different markets continues rugby league’s momentum as the number-one sport in Australia and the Pacific,” said NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.
“Whether it’s State of Origin or the premiership, the players continue to perform brilliantly and rugby league is winning new fans as a result.”
NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now.
