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26.2 million fans attending ticketed sporting events in Australia in 2024 - a 9% increase from the previous year, according to a just released report by sport marketing agency TwoCircles.

Two Circles’ Sports Attendance Review, shows AFL as the most attended sport in the country with 8.4 million fans in 2024, while rugby league experienced a 19% increase in crowd figures with 4.8 million attendances.

Horse racing rounded out Australia’s top three attendance with 2.7 million attendance (a 4% increase), football/soccer attracted crowds of 2.1 million (an 11% rise) while cricket - with crowds of 2.2 million (a 46% increase) benefited from a packed schedule during the year.The Review also notes one of the most notable trends of the year as being the rise in attendance at women’s sport.

Netball led the way with a 33% increase in attendance for the Suncorp Super Netball (although exact figures are unavailable) followed by growth of 23% in the Women’s Big Bash League, and obstacle racing competition Ninja League at 15%.

The report advised “a significant driver of this growth has been the ‘Matildas Effect’, with the success of Australia’s women’s football team generating an unprecedented increase in engagement.

“Some clubs saw their average attendance rise by more than 40%, reflecting a surge in interest in women’s football.”

Melbourne remains the home of sport in Australia as it drew 9.8 million fans to live events in 2024 ahead of Sydney on 5.6 million.

The report attributes this as beings partly due to the Victorian city’s sporting infrastructure which includes the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Marvel Stadium and AAMI Park as well as its annual calendar with events like the Australian Open and Australia Grand Prix.

Click here to view the full study.

Main image: Fans at the MCG during the 2024 AFL Grand Final.

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