Spectator sport participation

IBISWorld forecasts spectator sport participation to rise by 1.9% in 2025-26, to 9.57 million people. This participation rate equates to 41.2% of the total population aged 15 and over. Spectator numbers across numerous major sporting events continued their post-pandemic upwards trend. The NRL, Australian Open and Australian Grand Prix all beat previous record attendance marks, while total attendances at professional basketball games were also up by over 15.0% by the conclusion of the NBL season in April 2026. Strong attendance at the Ashes test cricket series supported spectator sport participation among cricket fans. The AFL finals attendance figures were also up by 12.6% on 2024 figures, despite the league narrowly missing its previous total season record attendance.

While spectator sport participation fell significantly over the two years through 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rebound was swift once professional leagues allowed patrons to return at full capacity. The end of pandemic restrictions and pent-up demand for sports viewership have increased the spectator sport participation rate as a share of the total population compared to pre-pandemic levels. Spectator sport participation peaked at 47.2% of the population in 1998-99 but had been trending downwards over the 2000s and 2010s, as people increasingly chose to watch sports on television and online streaming platforms, like Kayo.

Growth in spectator sport participation is often stronger in years when major international sporting events are hosted in Australia. For example, the share of the population that attended sporting events spiked to 44.1% in 2014-15, supported by Australia's hosting of the AFC Asian Cup (soccer) and the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup. In 2017-18, the Gold Coast hosted the Commonwealth Games, which attracted over 523,000 spectators. Additionally, a strong turnout in the Ashes series and the Rugby League World Cup all contributed to a rise in crowd figures in the same year. More recently, Australia's joint hosting of the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023-24 led to strong spectator sport participation among females, as almost 2 million people attended the event across Australia and New Zealand. This event was the catalyst that drove total spectator sport participants to a record 9.68 million in 2023-24. However, this spike in attendance, driven by the Women's World Cup, resulted in a decline in 2024-25 as spectator interest retreated among non-traditional markets. Overall, IBISWorld forecasts spectator participation at sporting events to rise at a compound annual rate of 23.1% over the five years through 2025-26. This significant growth is because the base year was severely affected by the pandemic.