Spanish football league LALIGA has been named the most improved sports property in Australia, according to YouGov’s 2025 rankings, recording a +4.6 change in score.

YouGov’s Sports on the rise in 2025 (Australia) report reveals the leagues and teams that have seen the biggest year-on-year improvements. Brands are ranked based on their change in YouGov’s Index score, which reflects overall brand health by averaging six metrics: impression, quality, value, satisfaction, recommend, and reputation.

The English Premier League (EPL) followed in second place (change in score of +4.0), while the Australian Football League (AFL) ranked third (+3.9), underlining the strong pull of both international football and Australia’s homegrown competition. The UEFA Champions League also posted significant gains (+3.9), reflecting the growing appeal of elite European football among Australian fans.

English football further strengthened its position with the English Football League Championship (EFL) (+3.1) and The FA Cup (+2.7). Beyond football, the Paralympic Games (+2.6) and National Basketball Association (NBA) (+2.6) also performed strongly, while the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (both +2.5) rounded out the top ten list of improvers in Australia.

YouGov also highlighted the most improved teams by sport:

  • In the AFL, the Brisbane Lions were the top improvers of the past year (+3.7), following their first AFL Grand Final win since 2003.
  • In NRL, Melbourne Storm (+2.8) emerged as top risers, performing strongly across all age groups.
  • In Super Rugby, the New South Wales Waratahs (+2.3) ranked highest.
  • In the A-League Men, Sydney FC (+2.3) recorded the strongest gains.
  • In cricket, the Sydney Thunder (+2.0) stood out after reaching their first BBL Final since 2016.

Download the full report with complete rankings.

Methodology
The insights and brand tracking data in this report have been sourced via YouGov’s always-on sports brand trackers, YouGov SportsIndex, and FootballIndex. ​

The Index score within YouGov SportsIndex is a composite measure that summarizes overall brand health for sports properties. The six-component metrics of the Index score are: Impression, quality, value, satisfaction, recommend and reputation. Brands are ranked based on their change in Index scores (round to one decimal) between July 1st, 2024, and June 30th, 2025, compared to July 1st, 2023, and June 30th, 2024. The surveys are based on nationally representative samples.​ ​

For a brand to qualify as a most-improved brand, it must have scores available for at least 18 months (548 days). ​​In cases where the change in scores is the same, the current scores are used as a secondary metric to determine their ranking.​ A minimum base size of 300 (n) is required.​