The viewing figures for the third and final Ashes Test between England and Australia suffered a major drop-off compared to the numbers that tuned into the first two games.
With the series already decided prior to the two sides walking out at Headingley on Saturday afternoon, the Kangaroos went on to complete a series whitewash courtesy of a 30-8 victory which again underlined the gulf between the two nations.
That meant there wasn’t quite as much riding on the occasion, though there was a sold-out crowd in Leeds for the clash, which was once again competitive for the most part before Australia pulled away in the closing stages.
And the TV figures reflect how the series being decided had effectively turned people off in terms of watching the clash.
According to the reputable X account, Rugby League on TV, the figures are in: and they show a significant drop in audience. An average of 627,000 people watched the coverage on BBC One, with a peak of just under 800,000: 799,000, to be exact.
3rd Test on BBC 1
627,000 average
9.3% audience share
799,000 peak https://t.co/AlmyP0oMRp— RugbyLeagueonTV.com (@rugbyleagueontv) November 9, 2025
Those numbers only look poor when put into comparison to the first two Test matches. At Wembley and Everton, the average audiences were 818,000 and 837,000 – with the peaks sitting at 930,000 and 972,000.
That illustrates the public’s demand for competitive rugby league, with the audience share dipping under 10 per cent for the first time this series, too.
However, the figures on the whole across the series have been incredibly strong, and show the BBC’s place on the rugby league landscape and how important the broadcaster is.
But as it stands, international rugby league will not be on our screens again in the UK for another 12 months – with England not scheduled to play again until the opening match of next year’s Rugby League World Cup.
