New data from Brand Finance reveals that the AFL and NRL club brands reach a combined $2.9 billion in value in 2026
SYDNEY, 2 November 2026 – Collingwood (brand value up 13% to AUD144 million), retains its position as the AFL’s most valuable and strongest brand, according to the AFL NRL report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. This growth is supported by the AFL’s largest membership base, 1.4 million social media followers and major partnerships with Emirates, Nike, KFC and Breitling. Collingwood also recorded a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 91.3/100 and an AAA+ brand strength rating, with exceptional familiarity, visibility and supporter affinity reinforcing its position at the top. Collingwood is the most valuable brand across the AFL and NRL.
Brisbane Lions rank second for both brand value and brand strength amongst AFL brands, with its brand value jumping 14% to AUD132 million and its BSI reaching 88.1/100. A third consecutive AFL premiership was accompanied by membership surpassing 77,000 for the first time and an 18% increase in social media followers, the fastest growth among AFL clubs. Long-term partnerships with Youi, McDonald’s and Tyrepower, alongside new agreements with Keri Juice and McCormack, strengthened its commercial platform, while strong reputation, club culture and growing relevance supported its AAA brand strength rating.
Sydney Swans (brand value up 2% to AUD118 million) is the third most valuable and third strongest AFL brand, with a BSI score of 87.3/100. Despite off-field challenges, record membership exceeded 77,000 and more than 826,000 social media followers supported its commercial scale, while strong familiarity, supporter loyalty and its longstanding reputation for professionalism and organisational credibility helped sustain its AAA brand strength rating.
Penrith Panthers has retained its position as the NRL’s most valuable brand, rising 8% to AUD140 million, but has lost its crown as the most valuable brand across both AFL and NRL brands to Collingwood. The Panthers secured a fourth minor premiership and reached a seventh consecutive preliminary final in 2026, while extended agreements with Allam Homes and Westfund and the addition of Ringers Western strengthened its commercial platform. The Panthers also rank as the NRL’s third strongest brand, with a BSI score of 85/100 and an AAA brand strength rating, supported by its local identity, supporter loyalty and reputation for sustained excellence.
Brisbane Broncos (brand value up 11% to AUD133 million) remains the NRL’s second most valuable brand and its strongest, with a BSI score of 90.7/100. Despite missing the finals in 2026, established commercial strength and continued partner investment supported brand value growth, while being one of the most widely recognised and followed clubs, and cultural relevance allowed the Broncos to retain its AAA+ brand strength rating.
Parramatta Eels (brand value up 4% to AUD102 million) retains third place in the NRL brand value ranking. A stable sponsorship base led by James Hardie and ALAND, alongside new partnerships with Mother Energy and MTC FutureReady and an extended agreement with Motiv8sports, helped sustain the club’s commercial position.
Melbourne Storm (brand value down 2% to AUD94 million) ranks as the NRL’s second strongest brand, with a BSI score of 88.5/100 and an AAA brand strength rating. Strong perceptions of professionalism, discipline and organisational excellence continue to underpin the brand, with reputation, trust and supporter regard remaining resilient despite the club missing the finals in 2026.
Andy Kan, Managing Director Australia, Brand Finance, commented:
"Sporting success remains an important catalyst for club brands across both the AFL and NRL, but the results show that it is only one part of the equation. The most resilient brands are those that can translate moments of sporting relevance into deeper supporter engagement, broader commercial appeal and enduring partnerships. Equally, clubs with established fan bases and strong commercial foundations can continue to create value even when results on the field are less consistent.”
The Sydney Roosters’ 2026 campaign highlights that winning trophies does not immediately translate into higher brand value. Despite claiming their first NRL premiership in seven years, the club’s brand value fell slightly by 3% to AUD85 million, underscoring that brand value is driven by a broader mix of commercial strength, fan engagement, sponsorship appeal and long-term growth prospects.
Another example can be seen with West Coast Eagles, a brand that recorded 19% increase to AUD95 million despite inconsistent on-field results during its rebuild. The Eagles continued to benefit from more than 107,000 members, a social media audience approaching 800,000 and new commercial partnerships, demonstrating how supporter scale and commercial strength can support brand value independently of immediate sporting success.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
