The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) today released the NRL Annual Report 2025, confirming another record breaking year for Rugby League.
In 2025, Rugby League again confirmed its position as the biggest sport in Australia and the Pacific - with record audiences, record attendance, record participation and the strongest financial position in the game's history.
Key financial highlights include:
- Record revenue: Total revenue was a new record of $845.6 million having increased by $100.7 million compared to the prior year. Revenue has now increased by $454.2 million or 116% since 2016.
- Record Distributions to clubs, players, states and development: Distributions were $562.3 million, having increased by $85.2m compared to the prior year. Since 2016 distributions have increased by $358.2 million or 175%.
- Record operating surplus: A record surplus of $64.8 million in 2025. This is the 5th consecutive year of a positive surplus, with cumulative surpluses over that period totalling $291.3 million.
- Record financial position: The ARLC's financial position continues to improve considerably, with net assets now $387.3 million, up 20 per cent on the prior year and up $329.8 million or 573% since 2016.
The strong financial results have led to reinvestment in elite competitions, grassroots and junior participation, women's programs, community clubs and fan experiences, ensuring the game's growth is shared across the entire ecosystem.
ARLC Chairman Peter V'landys AM said 2025 was another landmark year that demonstrated Rugby League's unrivalled strength across the region.
"The season delivered extraordinary performance outcomes for Rugby League, cementing our now established position as Australia's - and the Pacific's - number one sport," Mr V'landys said.
"The strategies of the Australian Rugby League Commission and strong financial management has enabled funding for Players, Clubs, States and grassroots to continually grow, while also increasing our capacity to invest further into new revenue generating assets.
"Financially, the game has never been stronger. Consistent annual increases in revenue and surpluses have compounded over consecutive years, enabling increased funding for Players, Clubs, States and grassroots, while also increasing our capacity to invest further into new revenue generating assets.
"And the future is even brighter, with the Perth Bears to join the NRL Premiership in 2027 and the Papua New Guinea Chiefs to enter from 2028. These new market expansions will build lasting connections with communities, growing the grassroots and giving kids the best start in life through the transformative power of Rugby League."
In 2025 Rugby League also broke viewership records in Australia and New Zealand with 224.2 million viewers across the entire season, up 9.5% on the prior year and up by 87.5 million or 64% compared to 2019, when it was 136.7 million cumulative viewers.
The Finals Series had a 32.6% lift in overall viewership and a standout 51% increase among 16-39 year old fans, underlining the game's huge appeal with younger audiences. The Grand Final was the most watched program with a record 4.55m viewers, while the NRL occupied 4 of the top 5 TV programs for the year.
Five million people attended matches live, up 3.6%, and NRL social media channels recorded a staggering 2.47 billion views across the season.
The women's game continued its extraordinary rise, with the NRLW Grand Final attracting a record average audience of 1.33 million viewers, up 42.7% on 2024, while 12.5 million people tuned in across the NRLW season.
With the ball in play for longer than ever before, fans experienced more action per minute across the season. The competition was also tighter than at any time since 2018, with more than one-third of matches decided by six points or fewer.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said the 2025 season delivered the strongest entertainment product in Australian sport and the largest, most connected participation community in Australia and the Pacific.
"After another record-breaking year, Rugby League is strong, healthy and vibrant.
"More people are watching Rugby League than ever before. More people are playing Rugby League than ever before. Whichever metric you choose, our overall results reflect those core strengths," Mr Abdo said.
Participation in Rugby League continued to grow strongly in 2025, with total participation reaching 1.12 million. Female participation also reached an important milestone, rising by 10 per cent to more than 50,000 registered players. Club participation hit a record high of 207,744 registered participants, while a further 829,347 children engaged with the game via school programs.
"Rugby League is Australia and the Pacific's largest and most inclusive sport. Across schools, community and club competitions, Rugby League provides touch, tag and tackle experiences for everyone," Mr Abdo said.
In 2025, the NRL broke all previous records. A summary of data in the Annual Report is below:
- 12.1 million NRL fans (+10.0% YoY)
- 224.2 million cumulative average viewers across Australia and NZ (+9.5% YoY)
- 4.98 million attendees across 2025 (+3.6% YoY)
- 1.12 million total participants across Rugby League programs (+7.5% YoY)
- 4.55 million average viewers for the NRL Grand Final (+34.7% YoY)
- 9.6 million social media followers (+13% YoY).
