Australian cricket fans have delivered a record-breaking television audience for the Seven Network, with more than 14 million people tuning in to watch the national team's emphatic Ashes demolition of England this summer.
Historic Ratings for a Dominant Series
The 2025-26 Ashes series, which saw Australia retain the coveted urn with a commanding 4-1 series win, has become the highest-rated Test series ever broadcast on the Seven Network. The heroics of players like Mitchell Starc, Travis Head, and Alex Carey captivated local audiences from start to finish.
Across the five fiercely contested matches, the series achieved an average total TV audience of 1.19 million viewers. Even the fairytale moment of English batting great Joe Root finally scoring a Test century on Australian soil proved unmissable viewing for the massive audience.
Boxing Day Test Creates Unforgettable Drama
The pinnacle of the broadcast bonanza was the iconic Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The third session of day one became the highest-rated session ever on Seven, captivating a staggering 3.4 million viewers nationally and helping the day secure a total national audience of 1.84 million.
Viewers were glued to their screens as an astonishing 20 wickets fell on the opening day. The drama peaked in the final over, where local hero Scott Boland survived to stumps, sending the MCG crowd into raptures and ensuring fans couldn't switch off.
Audiences Stay Loyal Through Summer of Cricket
Remarkably, the huge viewer engagement persisted even after Australia had retained the Ashes by the Adelaide Test. The fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, headlined by the emotional Jane McGrath Day, reached more than 7.4 million Australians across its five days and raised almost $12 million for the McGrath Foundation.
Even England's sole victory, their first win in Australia in over a decade, drew a massive audience. Despite the match ending within two days, more than 7.64 million Australians watched, with an average audience of 1.08 million.
Seven Network's Head of Cricket, Joel Starcevic, said the series reaffirmed cricket's central place in Australian sport. "Viewers stayed with us in record numbers right through The Ashes campaign," he stated, highlighting the upcoming Big Bash League final and a blockbuster women's series against India.
Chris Jones, Seven's Director of Sport, hailed it as an "unbelievable start to the Summer of Cricket." He noted the powerful combination of new, younger audiences streaming on 7plus and a growing traditional broadcast audience. "It firmly solidifies cricket as Australia's favourite summer sport," Jones concluded.
