The opening round of this year’s NRL season has been a smash hit for Foxtel, becoming the highest-rating first round in subscription TV history.
Round One 2021 pulled in an average 372,000 viewers, up 28 per cent on the first round of 2020; this is the second highest rating NRL round of all time. Foxtel broadcast audiences were up 14 per cent, while streaming on Kayo, Foxtel Now, and Foxtel Go were up 74 per cent.
According to Fox Sports Executive Director Steve Crawley, this is a massive beginning for the 2021 season, and Foxtel is working hard to deliver a product people love and want to pay for.
“It continues a run of out-sized audience growth for League on subscription television in 2020 based on our growing number of sports subscribers, which is now at a high water mark in the company’s history.
“We have a commentary and production team that’s the best in the business, and together with a great line up of shows and personalities, these numbers are further confirmation fans know Fox League is the go-to place for all NRL action,” he said.
The Storm v Rabbitohs season opener was the highest-rating opener and highest-rating Thursday night match ever, with an average audience of 487,000; this was followed by the Friday night Broncos v Eels match, at 429,000.
