The Hugo Weaving and Claudia Karvan-starring series has reached 1.67 million viewers, while one in four viewers binged all eight episodes during its first week.

SBS Original drama The Airport Chaplain has become the broadcaster’s biggest launch of 2026 outside the FIFA World Cup, drawing 1.67 million viewers across National Total TV to date and setting a new streaming benchmark for an SBS-commissioned drama.

The eight-part Australian series has delivered the best first-week performance for a local drama in SBS history, with the broadcaster reporting particularly strong viewing through SBS On Demand.

One in four viewers watched the entire series during its first week, while The Airport Chaplain recorded a 154 per cent increase in its Total TV series average audience between Overnight and Consolidated 7 figures, reflecting significant catch-up viewing following the original broadcasts.

Starring Hugo Weaving, Shabana Azeez, Claudia Karvan, Erroll Shand and Thomas Weatherall, the series is set within an international airport and follows the connections that develop between travellers, workers and strangers passing through its terminals.

SBS Head of Scripted Nakul Legha said the response demonstrated an appetite for distinctive Australian drama.

“We’re thrilled to see The Airport Chaplain resonate so profoundly with audiences. This is a gripping and timely drama that celebrates our shared humanity,” Legha said.

“It’s the kind of bold, distinctive home-grown storytelling that only SBS can deliver. Its success is a testament to the stellar cast and creative team who brought this series to life, and we look forward to even more viewers falling in love with The Airport Chaplain in the weeks ahead.”

The result is particularly significant for SBS following its coverage of the FIFA World Cup, with the broadcaster looking to retain viewers attracted to the network during the tournament. Nearly half of The Airport Chaplain audience also watched the World Cup, according to SBS.

SBS Director of Television Kathryn Fink said the drama’s performance was evidence that the network had been able to convert some of that sporting audience into viewers of its local programming.

“We’ve set ambitious targets for SBS this year around audience retention off the back of the FIFA World Cup,” Fink said. “So, it’s incredibly rewarding to see that ambition come to life, with nearly half of The Airport Chaplain audience also watching the FIFA World Cup.”

Fink described the series as “a great example of our audience strategy in action” and said its performance demonstrated “a real appetite for stories that connect with audiences, wherever and whenever they choose to watch.”

The series has also been given an unusually broad international launch for an SBS drama. In a first for an SBS Original drama, The Airport Chaplain premiered simultaneously on Netflix outside Australia, making it available to audiences in more than 190 countries and regions.

The domestic audience response has been accompanied by strong reviews. The Sydney Morning Herald described the series as “one of the best shows of the year,” while Guardian Australia awarded it four stars and called it “thoroughly bingeable” and “moreish.”

The Airport Chaplain was co-created and executive produced by Elise McCredie and Jude Troy and is produced by Wooden Horse for SBS. Screen Australia provided major production investment in association with SBS, with additional financing from VicScreen.

The series is also part of SBS’s accessibility and multilingual strategy. It is available on SBS On Demand with subtitles in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, while all eight episodes are available with audio description.

The 1.67 million reach figure covers viewing from August 25 to September 6 and is based on OzTAM VOZ National data, including broadcast and BVOD viewing.

The Airport Chaplain continues Wednesdays at 8.30pm on SBS, with all eight episodes available on SBS On Demand.