Recruiting Gen Z Fans and 800 Brands: Why The AFL Is a “Powerful Cultural Force”

To grow its popularity and cultural cachet across geographies and generations, the AFL must continue to invest in events like this weekend’s Gather Round, make influencers out of its biggest stars, connect with fans outside of Victoria, and continue the momentum of its new brand platform.

As the most-watched sport in Australia, the AFL’s reach makes it “a compelling property for many brands,” Nick Verhelst, M+C Saatchi Sports and Entertainment’s senior partnerships lead, says.

Last year’s grand final was the most-watched since 2021, and the most-watched program of the year, capturing 90% of the timeslot’s commercial audience share, reaching 6.09 million Australians, and achieving a total TV audience of 4.02 million.

But sports codes, including the AFL, are competing against other interests like gaming, pet ownership, and cooking. M+C Saatchi’s Passion Pulse research, released at the end of last year, showed gaming has overtaken AFL as Australia’s top passion point. Aligning with the gaming industry will ensure the sport builds popularity among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, Nick notes, just as the Australian Open partnered with games bar Fortress earlier this year to reach that audience.

“At the end of 2024, they really listened to their audience, identified a gap, and found an area of growth by launching their Top Paddock offering, which was specifically tailored to Gen Z and Gen Alpha,” he says.

The AFL is putting its efforts into Gather Round, an annual ‘festival’ which sees every AFL game across one weekend played in and around Adelaide. Last year, it attracted more than 100,000 fans, with the league expecting this weekend’s crowd to be bigger still. Adelaide is set to host the three-year-old event until 2026 -- driving tourism and boosting the local economy, and building Adelaide’s brand as a sporting city, in addition to both galvanising and creating AFL fans.

“Nothing quite compares to the energy, passion and shared experience that occurs at a live event,” Nick says, and “Gather Round is an opportunity to amplify all of this in the one location.”

Clubs Turned Production Hubs, Players Turned Influencers

Last month, the AFL debuted its new brand platform via creative agency 72andSunny, led by a film packed with easter eggs designed to lure potential fans to ‘Get In On It’. Its bold, illustrative elements made its intention clear: reach the next generation of fans “who are already deep-diving on their passions,” as 72andSunny CCO Wez Hawes told LBB.

“Only the AFL can claim to be a national game with such a rich history. And now everyone, especially the younger generation, can be a part of it."

At Gather Round, ‘Get In On It’ will make its real-world debut, with an activation featuring a barber giving fans player inspired haircuts and styles, a photo booth, giant dartboard, and DJ sets from GWS Giants AFLW star Georgia Garnett.

She’s not the only one building a brand off-field: Melbourne’s Christian Petracca’s cooking videos have earned him a TikTok following of 392,000, while Geelong player Bailey Smith has 350,000 Instagram followers.

While brands like McDonald’s regularly enlist players for their footy season campaigns, some AFL stars are featuring in ads that don’t explicitly spruik the sport, or involve them donning their team’s guernsey. Most recently, Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor and Carlton’s Tom De Koning became the face of a local Superdry campaign to help the brand regain its cultural status.

Gemba, a sports and entertainment analytics company, recently released a list of the most marketable AFL players, based on reach, interest, influence, and momentum, and topped by Collingwood’s Nick Daicos (270,000 Instagram followers). As the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ observed, it proves the league’s biggest stars are those actively building brands that feed off, but exist separately from, their athletic success: negotiating brand deals, engaging PR agencies, and becoming content creators. In becoming influencers, players can reach fans who don’t attend games.​

“By leveraging the influence of their biggest stars on social platforms, sports codes can build stronger, more passionate fan bases,” Nick says. “This approach creates opportunities for engagement that extend well beyond the traditional game day experience.”

Some teams are investing “in building sophisticated in-house production capabilities,” Nick adds, allowing them to produce “behind the scenes content, exclusive interviews, and match previews that keep fans connected to the action, even when they can't attend games in person.” That’s key to building an entertainment brand that keeps clubs growing and supporters engaged -- especially those based outside of Victoria, where the majority of AFL teams are concentrated.

In 2028, the Tasmanian Devils will join the eight existing non-Victorian teams (two each from Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and West Australia). Building the Devils’ brand and fan base will be a “challenge” requiring clever strategy, Nick says, since the state has a population of less than 600,000.

“While the initial interest has been remarkable, with over 200,000 founding members, converting that initial excitement into regular, engaged fan support will require a sustained, strategic effort,” he says.

He suggests the AFL continues its partnership with the Tasmanian government, and creates travel packages and promotions to entice fans to travel for games.

“Just as Gather Round boosted local tourism in Adelaide, a similar effort could increase Tasmania's profile as a top tier sporting destination and attract not only Devils fans, but visiting teams too.”

Brands Are Showing Up And Spending Big

According to the Passion Pulse research, 13% of people buy more from brands that support their passions, more than 4 million Australians say they watch AFL regularly, and over 3 million have attended a game. That means brands are willing to invest in exchange for access to the AFL’s cultural and community influence.

Toyota’s naming sponsorship costs a reported $18.5 million per year, making it the largest sports sponsorship deal in Australian corporate history. NAB has been the naming rights sponsor of the AFLW since the inaugural 2017 season. At a code level, there are a further 10 AFL major partners (including McDonald’s, NAB, AAMI, Coles, and Telstra), and 24 official partners, in addition to each club’s brand deals.

“There is an incredible amount of clutter across the AFL’s diverse range of sponsorships, with over 800 brands across the league who are all competing for attention,” Nick observes.

Just last week, insurance company NRMA struck a five-year agreement with Adelaide Oval, which will see Southern Plaza become ‘NRMA Insurance Plaza’ ahead of this weekend’s festivities. Chief customer and marketing officer Michelle Klein said the pre-Gather Round timing is ideal, because “hundreds of thousands of fans will descend on Adelaide Oval for a festival of footy.”

Adelaide Oval CEO Nick Addison said, “While other stadiums can sell their naming rights … instead, we’ve built commercial value in the Southern Plaza which welcomes the majority of our visitors and attracts major exposure on a global scale.

“The interest we received, both from local and national brands, is testament not only to Adelaide Oval’s stature as an international icon but also South Australia’s continued emergence as a vibrant and valuable commercial environment.”

This weekend, Toyota will showcase its battery-electric vehicle, the bZ4X, at a Gather Round activation. Fans will get free phone chargers, and can take photos with an ‘Oh What A Feeling’ sign. A spokesperson tells LBB Toyota and the AFL have “one of the world’s strongest sporting alliance[s]”.

“Toyota’s involvement has been pivotal in supporting and growing Australian football at all levels and abilities, from grassroots to the elite men’s and women’s competitions.

“This sponsorship is a source of pride for Toyota and its 275 dealers across Australia, who are committed [to] continuing their integral role within the AFL family and fostering further connections with fans and communities.”

The Macca’s Footy Festival is also returning to Gather Round, featuring a giant Golden Arches swing set, McCafe cart, and a customisable Captains Card booth, where fans can add their skill, name, and team to a memento card.

“We are passionate about creating iconic experiences for our customers, who we know have a special connection with the AFL,” McDonald’s senior marketing director Mary Vrancic said.

Ultimately, these experiences are designed to do what sport itself does: create emotional connections and memories. M+C Saatchi’s new positioning is a promise to measure and build brands’ ‘Cultural Power’, and Nick says the AFL’s is its creation of belonging and connection for millions.

“The AFL is more than just a sport, it is a powerful cultural force. The way it brings people together, fosters local pride, and creates moments that resonate emotionally with audiences is a testament to its vast cultural impact.”