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Aussie Sports Websites Surge as Finals Fever Sweeps the Nation
Australians have long loved their sport, but September’s finals season sent that passion into overdrive. According to the latest Ipsos iris digital audience data, a record 14.06 million Australians aged 14 and above flocked to sports websites and apps. That’s more than six in ten Australians, showing how deeply finals fever gripped the nation as the AFL, NRL, and NRLW competitions reached their dramatic conclusions.
In total, Australian sports fans spent an average of 54 minutes consuming sports content online last month. The data, released under the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)’s endorsed audience measurement system, tracked digital behaviour across 22 million Australians and revealed fascinating shifts in how audiences interact with online sports and news content.
While both men and women followed the action closely, men spent five times longer on sports content, averaging 89 minutes compared to women’s 17 minutes. Older Australians, particularly those over 40, were found to be the most devoted readers and watchers, spending 2.4 times more time on sports pages than those under 40.
National Sports Engagement: A Snapshot of September 2025
Sports sites and apps became virtual stadiums in September. Whether it was cheering for Collingwood, watching the Broncos dominate, or following the NRLW’s growth story, Australians turned to their screens to stay connected. Ipsos iris data revealed key engagement patterns that underscore how sport continues to shape the country’s digital media landscape.
- AFL.com.au was the month’s most-visited digital destination, topping the charts as fans devoured coverage of finals week.
- News.com.au Sport and Fox Sports rounded out the top three, continuing their dominance in sports journalism.
- 7NEWS.com.au Sport placed fourth, though it experienced an 11.2% month-on-month drop in traffic as competition intensified.
Interestingly, even with shifting audience preferences, the appetite for online sports coverage grew steadily. Fans consumed match previews, player interviews, trade rumours, and analysis, often during work hours or via mobile devices, suggesting the sports experience is now truly “always-on.”
What Drove the Spike in Sports Consumption?
- Finals Intensity: Close finishes in both the AFL and NRL kept audiences glued to live blogs, stats, and replays.
- Expanding NRLW Coverage: Women’s sport engagement surged, reflecting broader audience inclusivity.
- Digital-first Fans: Smartphone access has become the default, with more fans streaming highlights rather than watching live TV.
- Community Connection: Local teams and social discussions on apps amplified engagement far beyond stadium seats.
This dynamic mix of accessibility, interactivity, and national pride explains why Australians spent nearly an hour per day on sports content — a number that continues to climb year after year.
News Consumption Also Climbs as Audiences Diversify
While sport took center stage, general online news consumption rose 2.8% year-on-year. Ipsos iris reported that 21.3 million Australians accessed a news website or app in September, representing 96.4% of all Australians online aged 14+.
Australians spent 4.56 hours on average consuming online news, maintaining consistency with last year’s figures. The month was filled with major headlines that captured national and global attention — from celebrity stories and sporting triumphs to crime reports and international conflicts.
Driving much of the surge were:
- AFL Brownlow Medal coverage and red-carpet features.
- NRL Grand Final build-up and off-season trade speculation.
- High-profile stories such as Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s split, the Sydney shark attack, and Erin Patterson’s sentencing.
- Global events like Donald Trump’s UK State Visit, the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk, and updates from Gaza and Ukraine.
The data underscores how news consumption is no longer segmented by interest. Instead, audiences flow seamlessly between categories — sport, entertainment, politics, and global affairs — often within a single browsing session.
Digital Audience Rankings: Who Leads Australia’s News Race?
The Ipsos iris Top 10 News Category Rankings for September 2025 revealed small shifts among the biggest players, showing both loyalty and fluidity in audience behaviour.
| Rank | News Brand | Audience (000s) | Change (Month-on-Month) | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABC News | 12,812 | -1.15% | Retains top spot despite minor dip |
| 2 | News.com.au | 12,071 | +0.2% | Maintains strong engagement across categories |
| 3 | Nine.com.au | 11,950 | +2.5% | Growth driven by sports and lifestyle content |
| 4 | 7NEWS.com.au | 10,880 | -3.6% | Drop but holds position |
| 5 | The Guardian Australia | 9,750 | +1.1% | Continued interest in political analysis |
| 6 | Daily Mail Australia | 9,320 | -0.5% | Celebrity and entertainment drive visits |
| 7 | Yahoo News | 8,910 | -2.0% | Decline amid tighter competition |
| 8 | BBC.com | 8,640 | +18.5% | Surged after global event coverage |
| 9 | The Conversation | 8,110 | +0.9% | Consistent academic and policy readership |
| 10 | The Australian | 7,950 | -6.3% | Exited Top 10 after audience dip |
Average time spent across all news sites was 8,768 minutes per user, a 1.5% decline from August — indicating that while reach increased, session durations slightly shortened.
These results highlight the maturity of Australia’s digital news ecosystem. Established players maintain dominance through trust and reach, while international outlets like BBC.com continue to benefit from global event coverage.
How Sports and News Intersect in Digital Habits
The data paints a clear picture: Australians are among the world’s most engaged digital audiences. The synergy between sport and general news is especially powerful.
- Cross-Category Readers: Sports fans frequently transition into reading news stories on the same platform, improving overall engagement rates.
- Mobile Momentum: Smartphones account for the majority of online sessions, underscoring the shift toward mobile-first journalism.
- Emotional Connection: Sports victories, celebrity news, and national events create emotional highs that drive return traffic and social shares.
- Ad Revenue Opportunity: With nearly universal reach, Australian news sites are poised for strong advertising growth, particularly during event-driven months.
Marketers are now leveraging this data to fine-tune ad placements. Programmatic platforms and contextual targeting systems benefit from Ipsos iris insights, ensuring ads align with audience interests in real time.
H4: What the Ipsos iris Data Means for Publishers and Advertisers
The Ipsos iris system, backed by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Australia, has become a benchmark for understanding audience behaviour. For publishers, these findings provide actionable direction.
Firstly, timing and topicality matter. Sporting seasons, celebrity news, and political events consistently produce spikes in engagement. Secondly, mobile experience and app optimization are now crucial — especially for users aged 18 to 39 who prefer quick, accessible updates.
Advertisers, too, can capitalize. By aligning campaigns with high-engagement events, brands can increase visibility and conversion rates. September’s finals proved this strategy works. Every highlight reel, breaking news alert, and player trade story carried monetization potential.
In short, data-driven timing and contextual relevance are now the winning formula for both media companies and advertisers.
H4: Audience Insights Reflect a Changing Digital Culture
The September Ipsos iris results highlight an evolution in Australian digital habits. Sports may remain the heart of community engagement, but broader news consumption patterns reveal a public that is digitally literate, emotionally invested, and globally aware.
Even as time spent per session slightly dipped, total reach expanded. This suggests audiences prefer short, frequent visits across multiple platforms. Publishers who can meet this rhythm — through concise video updates, real-time stats, and interactive news feeds — stand to gain the most.
The results also confirm that trust remains the currency of digital journalism. Outlets like ABC News and Nine.com.au continue to attract stable audiences through credible reporting, while international players earn attention during major world events.
Trending FAQ
Q1: What is Ipsos iris and why is it important?
Ipsos iris is Australia’s official digital audience measurement system endorsed by the IAB. It tracks how Australians use websites and apps across smartphones, tablets, and desktops, offering precise insights into digital media behaviour.
Q2: How many Australians consume sports content online?
Over 14 million Australians visited sports websites or apps in September 2025, with each person spending about 54 minutes engaging with sports-related content.
Q3: Which sports platforms were most popular?
The AFL’s official site ranked first, followed by News.com.au Sport and Fox Sports. 7NEWS.com.au Sport ranked fourth despite an 11.2% decline in traffic.
Q4: How is overall news consumption trending?
Online news audiences grew by 2.8% year-on-year, reaching 21.3 million Australians. Audiences spent 4.56 hours per person reading or watching news online.
Q5: Which news site led the digital audience rankings?
ABC News retained the top position, followed by News.com.au and Nine.com.au. BBC.com entered the Top 10 with an 18.5% traffic increase.
Q6: What opportunities does this create for advertisers?
Advertisers can leverage peak engagement around major events, targeting audiences through contextual campaigns and performance-driven placements for maximum ROI.
In essence, September 2025 proved that Australians’ love for sports and news remains unstoppable. As digital platforms evolve and audience behaviour becomes ever more sophisticated, data like that from Ipsos iris is not just informative — it’s transformative. It gives media agencies, publishers, and marketers the playbook they need to thrive in a fast-moving, screen-dominated landscape.
