‘Bit of a disaster’: Grand final ratings bomb

The AFL grand final was a ratings bomb with only 2.96 million viewers tuning in nationally, making it one of the lowest-rating grand finals in history.

Last year, just over three million people watched Melbourne’s victory over the Western Bulldogs, while the 2020 grand final attracted 2.979 million viewers.

Co-editor of TV Blackbox, Kevin Perry, says it was “a bit of a disaster” for Channel 7.

“It was the second lowest in history,” he told Ross and Russel.

“They would have had an expectation of an extra million viewers for this game. They would have been looking for a figure close to 4 million, they’ve ended up with a figure of around 2.96.

“You’d have to say it was a combination of a long weekend, a really poor performance from Sydney and I think probably just a little bit of fatigue with the game.”

Image: Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos via Getty Images