One of the biggest days on the AFL calendar, the Big Freeze at the MCG, was a hit with viewers on Monday, reaching 1.34 million people on Seven and 7plus Sport. Seven’s The Big Freeze At The G had a national total TV audience of 903,000, up 13 per cent on last year and its biggest audience since VOZ total TV ratings started.
Following the Big Freeze, the Collingwood v Melbourne King’s Birthday clash reached 1.98 million. It delivered a national total TV audience of 930,000, up 7 per cent on last year’s game and up 57 per cent on the 2026 season-to-date AFL average. On 7plus Sport, the game drew 121,000 viewers, up 100 per cent on 2025.
Jo Weston, Sam Mac and Dale Thomas all took the icy plunge. Played in front of a crowd of 88,000, the game was yesterday’s most-watched sport program. It was also the No.1 sport program nationally among people 25 to 54s, 16 to 39s and grocery shoppers.
First introduced in 2015, the Big Freeze has become a crowd-favourite pre-match fixture at the Collingwood v Melbourne King’s Birthday blockbuster. This year was the first without Australian Football legend and FightMND Co-Founder and Patron, Neale Daniher AO, following his recent passing. Seven’s pre-game coverage featured a special tribute to Neale, paying homage to a revered figure across Australian sport who united the football community and inspired millions of Australians, through his leadership in the fight to raise awareness and vital funding for research through FightMND.
Seven’s team for the King’s Birthday match was led by Abbey Holmes, Brian Taylor, Hamish McLachlan, Dale Thomas, Nick Riewoldt and Tom Morris. McLachlan also joined Tim Watson, Neale Daniher’s lifelong friend and former teammate, to host the Big Freeze pre-match coverage, while Taylor called each slide as the stars took the icy plunge.
Seven’s head of AFL and sport innovation, Gary O’Keeffe, said: “Big Freeze 12 was a truly remarkable tribute to the late, great Neale Daniher AO. While we miss him dearly, we know he would have absolutely loved what unfolded at the MCG yesterday. With more than 88,000 fans filling the stands and huge audiences joining us on Seven and 7plus Sport, there could have been no greater celebration of Neale’s life, legacy and the extraordinary impact he had on so many Australians.”
“Welcoming South Sydney Rabbitohs star Jai Arrow and his family onto the MCG to toss the coin was an incredibly powerful moment. Jai’s courage in sharing his own battle against MND has inspired so many people, and the entire community stands firmly beside him in the fight against The Beast,” he said.
“As we come together again tomorrow to honour Neale at his state funeral service tomorrow, we reflect on his extraordinary contribution to MND research, advocacy and awareness in Australia. More than that, we reflect on his unique ability to unite people from all walks of life behind a common cause.”
Tomorrow (Wednesday), the nation will farewell Neale with special live coverage of his state funeral service at the MCG from 12pm AEST nationally on 7plus, and broadcast on Seven locally in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. 7NEWS Melbourne presenters Peter Mitchell and Rebecca Maddern will host the broadcast, guiding viewers through the special tribute and reflecting on his extraordinary sporting career and enduring legacy post football. Triple M Melbourne will also broadcast live from the MCG from 12pm AEST in tribute to Neale, with live and ad free coverage of the state funeral service commencing from 1pm AEST available nationwide on LiSTNR.
