Babar Azam & Pakistan Stars Boost BBL 15 To Break Attendance Records

SYDNEY: The 2025/26 Big Bash League (BBL 15) has exploded out of the blocks, with Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and the rest of the Pakistani star players delivering the best opening in years for both viewership and attendance.

Live streaming viewership for BBL 15 is up a staggering 131% compared to last season, while the first eight games have also produced record early crowds and the strongest TV numbers since BBL 10.

Biggest Opening Crowds Since BBL 7

The cumulative attendance across the opening eight matches has reached 137,607, the highest crowd figure for this stage of a season since BBL 7. With school holidays only just kicking in and marquee fixtures still to come, the league is on track for a bumper summer.

The Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes clash topped the opening week with an average audience of 1.01 million, the fourth‑highest pre‑Christmas BBL match since BBL 9 and the best outside a season opener in that timeframe.

Read more: Babar Azam’s BBL Debut Ends in Disappointment

The Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers thriller on 19 December became the most‑streamed regular‑season BBL game in Foxtel Group history, with BBL 15 tracking to be its most‑watched campaign ever on their platforms.

A key part of this surge in the BBL is the influx of Pakistani talent, led by Babar Azam. His signing for the Sydney Sixers and the presence of other high‑profile Pakistan players, including fast bowlers like Haris Rauf for Melbourne Stars, Shadab Khan for Sydney Thunder, Mohammad Rizwan for Melbourne Renegades, and Shaheen Afridi for Brisbane Heat, have added fresh global interest and energized local fanbases.

Babar’s return to form with a fluent fifty against Sydney Thunder has only intensified the hype around his maiden BBL season. Anticipation is particularly high for his head‑to‑head clashes with fellow Pakistan stars in rival colours.

The demand has spilled directly into ticket sales. The Sixers’ dedicated “Babaristan” fan zone at the SCG has already been expanded for the Boxing Day Bash due to overwhelming interest, as Babar fever helps turn BBL 15 into one of the league’s hottest editions in years.