Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm remain Australia’s most widely supported NRL clubs for a third straight year
The latest data from Roy Morgan shows the Brisbane Broncos are Australia's most widely supported NRL club for a third straight year with 1,405,000 supporters, up 134,000 (+10.5%) on a year ago following the Broncos' premiership-winning season in 2025.
In a clear second place remain the Melbourne Storm with 1,081,000 supporters, down 68,000 (-5.9%) on a year ago. The Storm have now held second position on the NRL supporter ladder for three consecutive years following their appearance in the 2025 NRL Grand Final.
The most widely supported Sydney-based club is again the Sydney Roosters with 478,000 supporters, ahead of the Parramatta Eels with 408,000 supporters.
The third most popular Sydney-based club is the Canterbury Bulldogs with 373,000 supporters, up 28,000 (+8.1%) on a year ago. The Bulldogs' third-placed finish on the NRL premiership ladder in 2025 helped drive growth in support over the last year.
NRL Club Supporter Ladder 2026
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, July 2025 – June 2026, n=59,959.
Base: Australians 14+. *New Zealand Warriors support only includes Australian-based supporters.
Four other clubs increased their support over the past year led by Queensland-based club the Dolphins with 223,000 supporters, up 55,000 (+32.7%) on a year ago. The Dolphins now have a larger supporter base than both the Cronulla Sharks and Newcastle Knights.
The surge in support for the Dolphins is no surprise given the club's rapid rise since entering the competition in 2023, steadily improving its ladder position each year.
Other clubs to increase their support compared to a year ago include the Wests Tigers with 364,000 supporters, up 33,000 (+10.0%) on a year ago, the Canberra Raiders with 278,000 supporters, up 21,000 (+8.2%) on a year ago, and the Gold Coast Titans with 153,000 supporters, up 18,000 (+13.3%) on a year ago.
The NRL consistently rates as one of Australia's favourite ‘TV products’. Now 7.6 million Australians (32.5% of Australians aged 14+) watch the NRL on TV, up 1,460,000 (+23.8%) compared to 2022.
The most popular NRL product on TV is again the annual State of Origin series between New South Wales and Queensland, with 6.2 million Australians (26.4%) watching Origin on TV, up 1,020,000 (+19.8%) compared to 2022, just ahead of the NRL Grand Final with 5.8 million Australians (24.9%) watching the season decider on TV, up 1,074,000 (+22.7%) compared to 2022.
Detailed in-depth profiles of NRL Supporters, Australians who watch NRL on TV, Australians who play Rugby League and profiles of supporters of all 17 NRL clubs are available on the Roy Morgan Online Store for those keen to learn more about what types of supporters each of the 17 NRL clubs are attracting both in the stands and on TV.
Julian McCrann, Industry Communications Director, Roy Morgan, says the Brisbane Broncos continue to dominate the NRL supporter ladder despite a disappointing end to their premiership defence:
“Three consecutive years at the top of the Roy Morgan NRL Supporter Ladder underlines the enduring strength of support for the Brisbane Broncos. Following the club’s premiership-winning season in 2025, support for the Broncos increased by more than 130,000 over the last year and the club has extended its lead over the rest of the competition.
“In a clear second place is the Melbourne Storm, which continues to enjoy support from more than one million Australians. The Storm also retained second spot on the Roy Morgan NRL Supporter Ladder for a third straight year following their appearance in the 2025 NRL Grand Final.
“In the far more competitive market of Sydney, with nine teams fighting for supporters, the Sydney Roosters remain on top with 478,000 supporters ahead of the Parramatta Eels with 408,000 supporters and the Canterbury Bulldogs with 373,000 supporters. Following a third-placed finish on the NRL ladder in 2025, the Bulldogs recorded strong growth in support over the last year.
“One of the most significant stories this year is the rise of the Dolphins. Support for the club increased by more than 30% over the last year, with the Dolphins now attracting more supporters than both the Cronulla Sharks and Newcastle Knights.
“Support for the NRL extends well beyond club allegiances. More Australians than ever are watching the game on television, with State of Origin remaining the code’s premier television product and attracting an audience of more than six million Australians.”
For comments or more information about Roy Morgan’s NRL Supporter profiles and other Sporting profiles data, please contact:
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askroymorgan@roymorgan.com
Photo by Storm machine, “2022 NRLGF stadium,” Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related research findings
View our extensive range of Sport profiles and reports, including NRL supporters, AFL supporters and supporters of various NRL clubs including Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne Storm, North Queensland Cowboys, Wests Tigers, Parramatta Eels and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Compiled with data from Roy Morgan’s Single Source survey (the largest of its kind in the world, with 60,000 respondents p.a.), these ready-made profiles provide a broad understanding of the target audience, in terms of demographics, attitudes, activities and media usage in Australia.
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is the largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state of Australia, as well as in the United States and the United Kingdom. A full-service research organisation specialising in omnibus and syndicated data, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience in collecting objective, independent information on consumers.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
