The title compound, [Ru(C12H7Br2N2)2(CO)2], possesses a distorted octahedral environment about the Ru atom, with two cyclometallated 4,4′-dibromoazobenzene ligands and two mutually cis carbonyl ligands. The donor atoms are arranged such that the N atoms are mutually trans and the aryl C atoms are trans to carbonyl ligands.