NRL & AFL - crowds & media cov...

[Cronulla_Mania]

Maybe therein lies the problem, people are just to tribal. I know with the Swans, it has a huge ex-pat following with all the Mexicans, WA and Boring people (except the Bug lol) in Sydney. Take them out, you would find that only the elite yuppie brigade are the only ones that take much interest in the code. Some things will never change, hence the stupidity of this argument! The AFL can keep pumping all the money that it likes into NSW and QLD, but the fact will remain that it can only get so far. Id venture to say that it has already plateaued in Sydney and is on a slight decline going off attendances/TV numbers.

Why do u read Melbourne papers?? lol, you are in Sydney now right?? I wont argue with you, Sydney people should get out and support their teams more, but its always been this way. Sydney people are primarily bandwagon jumpers and big event whores. The old Cowboys v Bulldogs game at 5:30pm on a Saturday arvo just doesn't have much appeal. And thats fair enough, it wouldn't even for me!! I mean, for goodness sakes, there are so many things to do and the climate to suit in Sydney, you just wouldn't find that many diehards who would head out to the Showgrounds. AFL clubs are also more reliant on membership numbers/gate revenue. The membership numbers are amazing at some clubs. How sustainable is it though?? Is a 5m+ salary cap sustainable for 16 clubs?? I don't know,reading aboutthe fin results of some clubs, id say they were at least partially living off money from the AFL. Just a question mate, how many clubs recorded a profit last year??

Also, where do u get your crowd figures from?? I spent hours looking around for a crowd comparision yesterday in the AFL, and found nothing!

Moffo.

 

[Tutt Army]

How did I know that this was going to turn into a AFL V NRL debate between Moff and Meltiger????

Moff, Just with the Swans, I think your mistaking the Swans crowds with the Waratahs crowd. I know quite a few people who follow the Swans, they follow the Nth Spirit with me during the summer, none of them can be considered wealthy and none can be considered yuppies either. I dont think the demographics of Swans supporters is that simple.

I'm not going to go an fuirther into the argument with the NRL V AFL cos I think its quite pointless, lets face it, AFL get bigger crowds than the NRL, AFL fans get out there and suppot there team, NRL fans dont travel and rather sit on there arse and watch it on T.V.

I'll rather go into improving the crowds at NRL games, firstly I think that we have to get the mentality of "I'm not going cos its a away game" away from the NRL. Iam a season ticket holder for the Saints and was so last year, Now i can understand the lack of away support for interstate teams, but away support for the Panthers, Tigers, Cronulla, Eagles Is quite disgraceful. The only teams that give any sort of away support in Sydney are the Dogs, Saints and Parra.

Second, like the AFL, NRL clubs need to promote Season Tickets heavily, I think at last count Saints had around 7000 Season Ticket holders, I think by the next 5 years we should be aiming for all NRL cluibs to have around 8-10 000 Season Ticket holders or more. Also clubs should be aiming to have a crowd average of around 20 000 by the next 5-10 years. I think they are realistic goals with the right marketing and exposure for the game.

I agree with the big blockbuster games but pleeeeaaase NO DOUBLE HEADERS!!! the novelty has worn off!!! I dont agree with the "it doesnt matter how you get bums on seats as long as they come" I had a lousy time at the double header, not only cos my team played like pathetic fools, but I had to wait over an hour to get a ticket, and once inside there was no atmosphere at all from the All Reserve Seating situation. I think if you stage those events, you have to cater for the die hards who are there EVERY game, have a general admission section where everyone can gather and mix with the same people they see at every game and then create the big game atmosphere that games like Saints V Canterbury deserve.

 

[Tutt Army]

BTW, can somebody enlighten me on the Melbourne Storm/ FTA T.V situation? I was of the understanding that the storm get a channel nine Melbourne game whenever they played at Olympic Park, or has this changed??

I'll be down in Melbourne in three weeks so I'll experience first hand what the media situation is and how much exposure is given to each sport in the papers.

 

[russ13]

In today's Courier Mail there is a report stating the "Broncos winners for Nine."

In partthe article states:

"The Broncos are the NRL's kings of television. Brisbane has been awarded six free-to-air timeslots on Channel 9 in eight rounds, four prime time Friday night spots and two on Sundays.
...Last Friday's Broncos-Roosters clash was the first time Friday Night Football has topped television ratings in Brisbane in two years.

The coverage peaked at 9.30pm with 377, 000 viewers, and averaged 329, 000. There were 350, 000 at kick-off (8.30pm), and 312, 000 were still tuned at 10.15pm."

 

[imported_Noodles]

They are interesting figures, russ13.
I've used your post to start another discussion on a different topic. I hope you don't mind.

 

[legend]

The solution for the NRL is to promote the game as THE place to be on the weekend and this starts with the televised FTA matches. Channel nine and the NRL should be heavily promoting games like Souths v Dogs and try and take the hooligan factor out of this match(which is obvioulsy there) and promote it as a great sporting spectacle for everyone. There is no reason why this game should not be a sellout. The weather should be fine, both teams are coming off wins and then there is the Anasta tutu factor. He is facing his old club for the first time and since having his eyebrows plucked, andwould be keen to make a good impression onthe sorry lot he left behind for the idiotic lot he now plays with.

 

[russ13]

Not a problem at all Noodles.
Just tell me where you used it and I might butt in.

I can not wait till the Broncos & Lions go head to head to when both have live TV audiences.

Notice how RU has been left on the sidelines. 400,000 watched AFL & RL in Sydney & Melbourne over Easter at the games. No one watched RU.

Where are you from Nodles?

 

[stormsally]

FTA TV coverage by Channel 9 is suppose to be happening after the horse racing is finished, week 5 I think. Mind you even if they have to show the horse racing at 3pm, you would think that they could find some time for the Storm game before 1.30am?

We will believe that Ch 9 is showing RL during daylight hours when it happens.

 

[imported_Noodles]

Thanks russ13

I used the figures to write a post about the quality of the game not really being dependant on the number of tries scored.
In past debates people have gone on about how games without heaps of tries are very boring, which I think is load of b-s.
Fridays game was a great example, it was 2-nil at half time, but a very enjoyable half of football. Your evidence that the ratings figures did not drop off too much as the game wore on backs up this claim.

I'm from Wollongong mate, used to go for the Steelers, now a dragons follower.

 

[imported_Noodles]

btw, it is in the General section if you want to add your views.
I meant to put it in the Rugby League one, but I stuffed up.

 

[imported_EskimoRichy]

Thanks eveyone for the great response to my original post. From reading all the posts, I hate to say it but Aussie Rules Football seems like it is in a better position than Rugby League and any other sport right now in Australia.

But what about Aussie Rules in NSW, ACT and QLD, has it got a chance of taking over Rugby League? Just how big is Rugby League in NSW and QLD, is it very strong? and too strong for other sports?

Rugby Union is a bluff really, the Super 12's team's from Australia are practically state teams, like NSW Waratahs and if 20,000+ is all they can manage for just a handful of games then that shows how poorly rated Rugby Union is, the Wallabies', from what I gatheris the only major attraction in Rugby Union. The NSW Rugby League and QLD Rugby League can attract capacity crowds everytime basically.

What does the NRL need to do to attract their old fans back?

The Rabbitohs' and Bulldogs' get 22,300 at Aussie (SFS) Stadium last night, well, yesterday, that is god really, but the Bunnies' got flogged, what will ahppen to their crowds?


Oh, and what does the ARL need to do to help create a bigger and better appeal to fans for the Kangaroos' national team? Even World Cup qualification Soccer matches for the Socceroos' in Melbourne and Sydney have attracted larger attendance's. What needs to happen and more importantly why? What crowd will turn up for this year's one-off Test against Great Britain & Ireland Lions' do you think?

Despite the poorish crowds for international League in Oz', do the Aussie Kangaroos' still attract as much, if not more media coverage on both television, papers and general talk in the streets as the Rugby Union Wallabies', Australian Cricket team and the AFL International Rules outfit who face Ireland GAA Gaelic Football each year?

please reply all, cheers

rj.

 

[Tutt Army]

R,J

Just on the socceroo's, Its not like in England where the national team plays regular football with quality opposition. In Australia the Socceroos play ONEhuge game every FOUR years to try and make it into the world cup. That means that every single supporter from around the country tries to make it to that game, I was at last years world cup qualifier in Melbourne and it seemed like every second supporter was from Sydney or from interstate. Many soccer fansdont have an NSL team for various reasons, so the Socceroo's mean everything.Also the support for soccer/football in Australia is understated, people look at the NSL crowds and think that soccer is unpopular, but more children play soccer than any other sport in Australia.There are many who follow the EPL and subscribe to Foxtel just for the EPL and Champions League.

I dont know why the Kangaroo's arnt as supported at the ground as the Wallabies, My theory is that for RU fans the Wallabies are everything (just like soccer), whilst most RL fans have there club teams. I also think that the quality of the games has something to do with it as well, the State of Origins IMOis a tougher, quicker and more intencegame of League than the Internationals. That doesnt mean the International merkin produce some great games, one of my favourite all time games was the 95 world cup final, I quite liked the 2000 world cup final as well.
I'm certainly going to the Kangaroo's V Great Britain gamein Sydney later in the year and I hope every other League fan in the city goes along as well, going off the ashes tests last year (especially the first one) it should be a great spectacle. But knowing Sydney RL fans they'll probably sit at home and watch it on T.V. I'm predicticting a crowd of around 25-30 thousand, I do however want a sellout Aussie Stadium.
The Kangaroo's do attract as much media attention as the other national teams, in Sydney and Brisbane, not around the nation like the Cricket team.