Super Rugby Aupiki enjoys significant increase in total viewership

Maia Roos of the Blues holds up the Super Rugby Aupiki trophy. Photo / Getty Images

By the time the final whistle blew on the Super Rugby Aupiki final between the Blues and Chiefs Manawa, more than 680,000 New Zealanders had watched the competition on Sky Sport and free-to-air on Sky Open.

Additionally, Super Rugby Aupiki matches were streamed on Sky digital channels more than quarter of a million times, with 46,000 unique viewers on Sky Sport Now and 26,000 on Sky Go.

There was a significant increase in the number of viewers in 2024 compared with last year. With a 13-game season following 10 matches in 2023, the competition drew 21 per cent more viewers.

In a world first, the final was also broadcast live on TikTok, which amplified interest in the game and drew in new viewers. More than 12,700 unique viewers tuned into the coverage on the app.

The TikTok format presented new opportunities for fan engagement, which was well utilised with 164,000 likes across the match and almost 6000 comments.

New Zealand Rugby head of women’s high performance Hannah Porter was encouraged by the buzz and excitement around the final.

“We saw quality matches across the expanded competition this year, with the final between the Blues and Chiefs Manawa showing us the potential this competition has moving forward to excite fans,” Porter said.

“Sky Super Rugby Aupiki is a young competition with a big future and it’s heartening to see the numbers of fans tuning in and engaging with the players, the teams and the unique brand of rugby.”