Brandwave

AFL vs Premier League:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Premier League had more branded searches than AFL among sports leagues in New Zealand. Premier League had about 561,000 branded searches, while AFL had 175,000. Premier League made up 15.2% of all sports league searches we track, and AFL accounted for 4.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sports leagues, Premier League appeared in two of the five answers and AFL in none.

Among sports leagues in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Premier League, about 3 searches for every 1 for AFL

Premier League 561K searchesAFL 175K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Premier League, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, AFL in 0

Premier League in 2 of 5AFL in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Premier League, the only one of the two named

Premier League first in 2AFL never named

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Top sports leagues in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Premier League was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. AFL did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Super Rugby Pacific1st
  2. NRL2nd
  3. NFL3rd
  4. Premier League4th
  5. A-League5th
  6. NBA6th
  7. Super Smash7th
  8. AFL–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • NRL3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • A-League3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Super Rugby Pacific3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Premier League2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • NFL2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • NBA2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Super Smash2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • AFL0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about sports leagues

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Is AFL or Premier League more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for AFL and Premier League by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight sports leagues we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

AFL and Premier League among sports leagues in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Premier League, AFL. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthNRLPremier LeagueNFLA-LeagueAFLNBASuper Rugby PacificSuper Smash
Oct 202514.8%23.6%17.3%14.2%0.52%29.2%0.34%0.03%
Nov 20253.6%23.1%15.5%14.5%0.27%42.8%0.25%0.05%
Dec 20251.8%28.9%14.7%18.8%0.13%34.1%0.19%1.3%
Jan 20262.1%25.2%16.7%17.3%0.15%32.7%0.59%5.2%
Feb 20269.3%26.3%3%16.3%0.27%26.6%18.2%0.06%
Mar 202629.2%17.9%0.52%10.1%1.5%22.6%18.1%0.01%
Apr 202633%15.2%0.78%8.8%1.7%24%16.5%<0.01%
May 202629.7%16.8%0.24%8.4%1.5%28.8%14.5%<0.01%
Jun 202647.8%1.1%0.48%0.66%2%32.4%15.6%<0.01%
Jul 202684.7%2.9%0.71%1.6%4.1%5.1%0.92%<0.01%
Aug 202676.4%11%2.1%5.5%2.9%1.8%0.33%<0.01%
Sep 202659.8%15.2%11.3%6.9%4.7%1.8%0.34%0.01%

How has the AFL and Premier League comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: AFL took it in June 2026, Premier League took it in August 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AFL’s share of searches among sports leagues in New Zealand moved from 0.52% to 4.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 13K to 175K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Premier League’s share of searches among sports leagues in New Zealand moved from 23.6% to 15.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 590K to 561K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand sports leagues in September 2026?

3 changes

  1. In September 2026, NFL overtook A-League and AFL to rank 3rd among sports leagues in New Zealand, with 11.3% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Premier League gained share of searches among sports leagues in New Zealand, from 11% to 15.2%.

  3. In September 2026, AFL gained share of searches among sports leagues in New Zealand, from 2.9% to 4.7%.

How are branded searches counted?

30 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AFL’s and Premier League’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

AFL

14 branded search terms

  • afl
  • afl collingwood
  • afl draw
  • afl fixture
  • afl grand
  • afl ladder
  • afl live
  • afl live scores
  • afl match
  • afl results
  • afl results today
  • afl scores
  • afl teams
  • afl w

Premier League

16 branded search terms

  • british premier league
  • fantasy premier league
  • premier league
  • premier league draw
  • premier league fixtures
  • premier league game
  • premier league ladder
  • premier league players
  • premier league results
  • premier league scores
  • premier league standings
  • premierleague
  • premierleague fixtures
  • premierleague ladder
  • premierleague scores
  • premierleague table

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among sports leagues

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