Many enjoyed the thrilling match between the NSW Blues and the Queensland Maroons across Australia, and became the most streamed program of all-time in Australia.
It is an incredible milestone for the NRL, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting that the figures have skyrocketed across Nine and 9Now, with the fixture having a television reach of 5.771 million.
It is a 6.2 percent increase from last year, which also saw a total TV audience of 3.995 million people.
If there was ever any-doubt rugby league is the number one sport in Australia, it has been well and truly put to bed with these astronomical numbers.
The Sydney-based publication also announced a streaming record of 1.521 million people, which thwarted 2025's Game 3 number of 978,000 viewers last year.
It is a timely accolade for the NRL, who are currently deep in negotiations for their next broadcast deal, with ARL Chairman Peter V'landys seeking a deal worth more than $4 billion.
Nine will be in the box-seat to be part of the next deal following the strong statistics shown this year across the NRL and NRLW.
Fans were on the edge of their seats as they watched James Tedesco score the match-winner in the dying stages, with a 54 percent increase in post-match coverage from Nine, along with a 128 percent raise on 9Now.
Amanda Laing, who is Nine's managing director of streaming and broadcast, spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald, saying there is a growing demand for sport across the country.
“Nine is the home of rugby league, and last night's State of Origin audience demonstrates the unmatched power of Nine's connected live sport ecosystem to deliver truly national moments at scale,” said Laing.
“The record-breaking streaming audience on 9Now, alongside strong total TV growth year-on-year, reflects the continued evolution of audience behaviour and the growing demand for premium live sport experiences across every screen and every platform.
“Importantly, it reinforces the strength of Nine's total TV strategy, combining the scale of mass audiences with the accessibility and engagement of streaming to maximise reach, fandom and commercial impact around Australia's biggest sporting moments.”
