Sports viewership drives significant media growth in Australia and the US

Recent media reports highlight significant shifts in sports-driven viewership across Australia and the United States. In Australia, Total TV reached 86.7% of the population monthly during the first half of 2026. Live sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup and NRL State of Origin, were primary drivers of this engagement. Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD) viewing now accounts for 19.1% of Total TV minutes, showing growth from 16.2% in late 2025.

In the United States, viewership for women’s sports reached 28.6 billion minutes in the first half of 2026, an 18% increase compared to the same period in 2025. This growth is accompanied by a 120% rise in advertising spend on women’s sports since 2022. Notable viewership milestones include the Winter Olympics women’s hockey gold medal game, which averaged 5.3 million viewers, and the NCAA women’s basketball championship, which averaged 9.9 million viewers.