Wildcard finals pull nearly one million viewers in AFL debut
About one million watched on Friday night, 800,000 on free TV, 166,000 streaming, and on Saturday 720,000 on free TV, 153,000 streaming, with crowds exceeding 81,000 at the MCG both nights.
Why it mattersThe AFL's business case for wildcard finals rests on eyeballs and revenue, not on whether it produces a fair or more competitive result.
AustraliaAustralian footy fans now have extra finals games to watch, but the format may shape how the sport rewards lower-ranked teams going forward.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 d ago
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