Simply the best: NRL's pre-game entertainment outranks AFL

The TV numbers are officially in from the NRL Grand Final, and it paints a very interesting picture for the NRL.

Following a breakdown in discussions to have Tones and I perform as the pre-game entertainment weeks out from Sunday's decider between Newcastle and Sydney, the competition instead pivoted to use the moment to pay tribute to NRL player Jai Arrow and former Wallaby Nathan Charles following his MND diagnosis.

Alongside Arrow and Charles going around on a motorcycle, Australian artists Amy Shark, Dave Gleeson, The Screaming Jets and Phil Jamieson would entertain those in attendance at Accor Stadium, signing Gerry and the Pacemakers' 'You'll Never Walk Alone', 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?" and Tina Turner's 'The Best'.

And it proved to be a winner, with the TV ratings showing that the NRL's pre-game entertainment brought in 2.25 million people. That would see the NRL beat the AFL's viewership numbers for the pre-game entertainment despite having a bigger act in Kylie Minogue. It was reported that the Australian pop star helped bring in a viewership of 1.86 million to Channel 7.

But overall, it was the AFL Grand Final in its Saturday afternoon timeslot that outranked the NRL, with 230,000 more people tuning in to watch the Brisbane Lions complete a historic three-peat, with 4.52 million watching on average compared to 4.29 million on Channel 9.

It's the fourth year in a row that the AFL has recorded growth in its ratings for its biggest game of the season.

The NRL has recently signed a mega TV rights deal which will see the competition earn $5.3 billion over the next seven years.