Most Popular Searched Sports in Australia
Quick Answer
AFL (Australian Football League) is the most searched sport in Australia, followed by NRL (National Rugby League) and Golf. Search data collected over a five-year period shows clear regional preferences in sporting interests across the country.
- AFL leads with a search volume of 100 (maximum relative score)
- NRL follows at 80, showing strong Rugby League interest
- Golf ranks third at 75, ahead of traditional sports like Cricket (70) and Tennis (60)
There are regional differences in the popularity of sports. Here is a discussion and list of the most popular searched sports in Australia, using online searches as the measure of popularity. See more on Australia's most popular sport.
Popular Sports Search Terms in Australia
Here are the most searched for sports names in Australia, useful to gage the relative popularity of particular sports. There are four major football codes in Australia, with Australian Football the most popular. Even the general term 'Football' did not rank higher than 'AFL'. This corresponds to the table of Australian sports spectators, which also had AFL as the highest.
The data is collected over a four-year period to account for the effect of annual events and other major events that may occur every four years. For this list, only the search popularity of sports names or words describing a group of sports (e.g. football) is included.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most searched sport in Australia?
AFL (Australian Football League) is the most searched sport in Australia with a relative search volume of 100, significantly higher than other sports. This reflects AFL's cultural significance, particularly in Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.
How do NRL search volumes compare to AFL?
NRL ranks second with a search volume of 80, which is 20 points below AFL. This reflects NRL's strong presence in New South Wales and Queensland, though AFL maintains overall national dominance in search interest.
Why does Golf rank higher than Cricket in searches?
Golf ranks third (75) ahead of Cricket (70) likely due to consistent year-round interest and high participation rates. Cricket searches may be more seasonal, concentrated around international matches and domestic competitions like the Big Bash League.
What is the search volume metric based on?
Search volume is a relative term reflecting how many searches have been done for a particular term relative to the total number of searches on Google. It does not represent actual search numbers but provides a comparative measure of interest, with the highest ranked sport set at 100.
Where does Soccer rank in Australian sports searches?
Football (Soccer) ranks sixth with a search volume of 55, behind traditional Australian sports codes. This reflects soccer's growing but still developing presence compared to the established football codes of AFL, NRL, and Australian Rules Football.
References
- Google Insights for Search. (2020-2025). "Sports Search Volume Data - Australia." Google Trends Category: Sport. Data collected January 2020 to January 2025.
- Wood, R.J. (2010). "Australian Sports Spectator Analysis." Topend Sports. Retrieved from topendsports.com/world/lists/popular-sport/countries/australia-spectators.htm
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2024). "Sports Participation and Spectatorship Survey." Commonwealth of Australia.
- Nielsen Sports. (2024). "Digital Sports Engagement in Australia." Annual Sports Media Report.
- Roy Morgan Research. (2024). "Australian Sports Following Trends." Sports Monitor Australia.
Related Pages
Australia's Most Popular Sport
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