The AFL has told the clubs that their broadcast audience, down for much of 2018 in a slump arguably tied to the state of the game, has lifted over the past three to four weeks.

In a change that might reflect the improved quality of games over the past month, the AFL gave a presentation to club chief executives in which they were told that the television audiences – and the numbers of people viewing games on tablets and phones — had increased during recent weeks.

The rise in ratings and in the viewership on devices in the past few weeks follows a season-long debate about the look of the game and potential rule changes, with the improved ratings coinciding with a push-back against the more radical potential changes, such as starting positions at all stoppages – which appears to have been put on the back-burner for 2019 as the AFL pushes more incremental changes.

The relationship between reduced ratings and ‘‘ugly footy’’ was underscored earlier this season when Channel Seven boss Tim Worner called for more goals and for ‘‘restoring beauty’’ to the game.

The AFL gave the clubs details of the broadcast numbers – including for mobiles and tablets – and discussed the long-term outlook for broadcasting.