Foxtel is celebrating a boost in AFL audience numbers as more fans, unable to attend matches in person due to COVID-19, turn to Fox Footy.
AFL’s Round 9-12 fixture, which features 33 matches over 20 days, saw live audiences for Fox Footy up 14% compared to Rounds 1-8. When compared to the same rounds last year, audience was up 59%.
Data covering Foxtel set-top boxes and streaming platforms Kayo and Foxtel Now have been released for the first time, with live audience for the AFL season up 34% compared to the first 12 rounds of the 2019 season. Foxtel says average audiences for Foxtel are up 10%, and Foxtel Now, Foxtel GO and Kayo audiences are up over 200%.
“Our team at Fox Footy have been delighted to bring a unique season to more viewers than ever before, and the AFL could not have been a better partner during these times,” says Foxtel sports executive director Steve Crawley.
“We are incredibly excited about the next instalment of the Footy Frenzy which begins with a Thursday-night doubleheader on 27 August featuring the Hawks and Bombers at Adelaide Oval, followed by the Tigers and Eagles in a blockbuster at Metricon Stadium.”
The boost in ratings comes as Foxtel struggled with subscription cancellations, particularly for sports streaming platform Kayo due to the suspension of live sports earlier this year.
Since the return of the AFL and NRL seasons, Kayo numbers have climbed, with the platform reporting 419,000 paying subscribers as of June 30, compared to 331,000 the year prior, helping to offset a fall in broadcast subscribers.
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