2026 TV and Streaming Ratings thread

[storm1999]

Not even at feasibility study stage. At least Darwin did and came up with "yeah lol we cant do this"

Canberra is an infinitely more viable option for the 20th team than Darwin.
- Strong history of Australian Rules in the region and proximity to Riverina recruiting zone
- Proximity to Melbourne and Sydney makes it possible for away fans to travel to games and a short flight for most visiting teams
- High net worth population and federal politicians makes corporate sponsorship attractive
- Transient population with large numbers of Victorians ex-pats
- Manuka Oval is selling out games and is line for refurbishment/redevelopment

 

[Gobsmacked]

It's called "competitive balance". The NRL does it too via the salary cap and league distribution allocations. Without it you would have an EPL-style league where the 3-4 richest dominate season after season.

I call it rigged.

 

[BuffaloRules]

It's called "competitive balance". The NRL does it too via the salary cap and league distribution allocations.

What ? No they don’t

 

[Gobsmacked]

Canberra is an infinitely more viable option for the 20th team than Darwin.
- Strong history of Australian Rules in the region and proximity to Riverina recruiting zone
- Proximity to Melbourne and Sydney makes it possible for away fans to travel to games and a short flight for most visiting teams
- High net worth population and federal politicians makes corporate sponsorship attractive
- Transient population with large numbers of Victorians ex-pats
- Manuka Oval is selling out games and is line for refurbishment/redevelopment

But you already have a team there..

 

[The_Wookie]

They have played games in Cairns and went on pre-season training camps in the NQ region.

Ive played games in Cairns and been on camping trips, hell even worked up there. I dont represent TOWNSVILLE...which is a whole other city...almost 300km away.

 

[The_Wookie]

It's called "competitive balance". The NRL does it too via the salary cap and league distribution allocations. Without it you would have an EPL-style league where the 3-4 richest dominate season after season.

Salary cap sure, but the NRL dont competitive balance through the league distribution. All clubs are entitled to 130% of the salary cap, with additional funding for NRLW.

 

[The_Wookie]

Canberra is an infinitely more viable option for the 20th team than Darwin.
- Strong history of Australian Rules in the region and proximity to Riverina recruiting zone
- Proximity to Melbourne and Sydney makes it possible for away fans to travel to games and a short flight for most visiting teams
- High net worth population and federal politicians makes corporate sponsorship attractive
- Transient population with large numbers of Victorians ex-pats
- Manuka Oval is selling out games and is line for refurbishment/redevelopment

Canberra, like Nth Queensland, Newcastle and Darwin, have about as much a chance of getting an AFL team in the near future as the land of Oz.

 

[stratocaster]

Back in reality:

 

[storm1999]

If the NRL outrated the AFL’s two games with only 1 game, then the market targeting strategy didn’t work.

It's a sample size of one night. If we see similar results over the next five or so Fridays where two games are scheduled I will agree with you.

They have effectively taken a game that could have rated higher on another day without any clash and slashed its potential viewing audience by restricting it solely to one state.

This is false. Traditionally, the Swans-Giants Derby would have been on Saturday night, where it would have also clashed with a 2nd game, and only been on FTA in NSW/ACT, plus on a two hour delay due to the Fox Super Saturday provision of the broadcast agreement.

It’s not because AFL aired other home market games. They could easily add more WA, SA, NSW & QLD teams into their Thursday and Friday night slots without impacting that arrangement at all.

The more non-Victorian teams are chosen for these slots, the less FTA coverage Victorian teams get full stop. All NSW, QLD, WA and SA teams get all 23 regular season games broadcast into their home market on FTA. Of course this arrangement means Seven will choose Victorian teams for its marquee slots, it's only logical.

AFL does not have teams in all six states and territories.

There are six (6) states in Australia. I will list them for you. NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS. The AFL has teams in each of these states. They play multiple regular season games in two major territories. ACT, NT.

Dots on the map mean little unless it’s meaningful elsewhere, otherwise NBL and A-League would be the kings.

Regardless of popularity or size, I would consider the NBL, A-League and the BBL as true national leagues. NRL and Super Rugby I would not consider to be true national leagues.

 

[storm1999]

Canberra, like Nth Queensland, Newcastle and Darwin, have about as much a chance of getting an AFL team in the near future as the land of Oz.

There will be a Team 20 by around 2034 and Canberra is by far the most viable option out of the four locations you listed.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

NRL has teams in more Australian cities than the AFL. Therefore it is more national.

Canberra, Wollongong, Newcastle & Townsville combined has a far larger population that Adelaide. AFL will never have a presence in any of these cities. Even the most delusional Victorian would know that.

 

[The_Wookie]

There will be a Team 20 by around 2034 and Canberra is by far the most viable option out of the four locations you listed.

There is no timeframe for a team 20.

I dont consider any of them to be viable. The only cost effective option by 2034 will be WA3, by then the GIants will be in Canberra more than WS, and the Suns will be fortunate if they are still alive.

 

[storm1999]

Canberra, Wollongong, Newcastle & Townsville combined has a far larger population that Adelaide. AFL will never have a presence in any of these cities. Even the most delusional Victorian would know that.

They already do have a presence in Canberra. Manuka Oval hosts three regular season games a year and usually sells out. The other 3 cities are heavily League dominated I agree, but Canberra has historically been a mix of all codes. Obviously once the Raiders came into the NRL it became the dominant code there.

 

[stratocaster]

It's a sample size of one night. If we see similar results over the next five or so Fridays where two games are scheduled I will agree with you.


This is false. Traditionally, the Swans-Giants Derby would have been on Saturday night, where it would have also clashed with a 2nd game, and only been on FTA in NSW/ACT, plus on a two hour delay due to the Fox Super Saturday provision of the broadcast agreement.


The more non-Victorian teams are chosen for these slots, the less FTA coverage Victorian teams get full stop. All NSW, QLD, WA and SA teams get all 23 regular season games broadcast into their home market on FTA. Of course this arrangement means Seven will choose Victorian teams for its marquee slots, it's only logical.

There are six (6) states in Australia. I will list them for you. NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS. The AFL has teams in each of these states. They play multiple regular season games in two major territories. ACT, NT.


Regardless of popularity or size, I would consider the NBL, A-League and the BBL as true national leagues. NRL and Super Rugby I would not consider to be true national leagues.

It's not the first time the AFL has relegated the Swans vs Giants game to B-grade status, they did it last year. I'm not basing my opinion on one game alone, hence why I call this out well in advance of the game actually airing.

The Swans-Giant derby can be played any night the AFL chooses. They chose to have it overshadowed by an all-Victorian game on purpose because they knew it could stand on its own merits nationally.

The AFL could easily air more interstate teams on a Thursday and Friday. Instead they relegate them to second tier status because they're first and foremost a Victorian league.

If you're going to count Tasmania as an existing AFL club, then the NRL can already count Perth too by that logic. If you're going to count teams from other cities taking games to Tasmania, Darwin and Canberra as part of the national requirement, then the NRL has done that too.

What you consider to be true or not doesn't matter. If you think the NBL, A-League and BBL's dots on the map making them bigger than the NRL then logic will always wash over you and never leave a trace. There are only two sports league in Australia in the S-Tier status: AFL and NRL. And the reality is the AFL has 4 heartland cities (Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Geelong) with a tokenistic presence elsewhere. Whilst the NRL has 7 heartland cities in Australia: Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Townville, Gold Coast, Newcastle and Illawarra, plus an 8th with Auckland in New Zealand. The NRL heartland is simply bigger than the AFL heartland.

 

[storm1999]

Since when has the goal been to be national? - the NRL'S goal is to be global.

Remind again what the "N" in NRL stands for?
The NRL has about as much chance as becoming global as Tehran does of obtaining an NFL franchise.

 

[stratocaster]

Fact: the NRL has teams based in 7 Australian heartland cities

SYDNEY, BRISBANE, CANBERRA, NEWCASTLE, GOLD COAST, TOWNSVILLE and WOLLONGONG.

It has an 8th heartland team in New Zealand: AUCKLAND.

The NRL is the dominant code and the respective NRL clubs based in those areas are the #1 clubs in those cities.

Just for fun though, let's look at cities that are in NSW, QLD, NZ, PNG and FIJI that have bigger populations than Hobart:


The NRL is actively exploring the possibility of teams in Ipswich and Christchurch. There have been previous bids from Central Queensland, Central Coast, Wellington and Fiji.

None of these areas will ever have an AFL team.

After the Perth Bears are admitted into the competition, the only cities in Australia that are bigger than these will be Adelaide and Geelong, and only Adelaide will be worth expanding to.

 

[storm1999]

If you're going to count Tasmania as an existing AFL club

Tasmania FC literally is an existing club, participating in the VFL competition this year. The Devils play Carlton in Hobart next Saturday night.

If you think the NBL, A-League and BBL's dots on the map making them bigger than the NRL then logic will always wash over you and never leave a trace.

I never said those leagues were bigger than the NRL, obviously they are not. I just see them as being national, whereas the NRL in my opinion is not. If after the Super League war ended Perth and Adelaide were prioritised and two superfluous Sydney teams like the Sharks and Rabbitohs had been demoted to the NSw Cup state league my view on this would be very different today.

 

[storm1999]

Fact: the NRL has teams based in 7 Australian heartland cities

SYDNEY, BRISBANE, CANBERRA, NEWCASTLE, GOLD COAST, TOWNSVILLE and WOLLONGONG.

It has an 8th heartland team in New Zealand: AUCKLAND.

The NRL is the dominant code and the respective NRL clubs based in those areas are the #1 clubs in those cities.

That's cool, but:
Sydney: the Swans arguably have a bigger supporter base than any of the Sydney NRL clubs, and easily draw bigger home game crowds than any of them. The Perth Bears is proof the relocation model has worked as the NRL are copying what the VFL did with South Melbourne in 1982.

Brisbane: I would concede the Broncos are far bigger than the Lions at present. However, after the Brisbane Olympics the Lions have the potential to start drawing bigger crowds in the new stadium. Let's wait and see.

Gold Coast: the Suns aren't really far behind the Titans if crowds are any indication.

 

[stratocaster]

Tasmania FC literally is an existing club, participating in the VFL competition this year. The Devils play Carlton in Hobart next Saturday night.

We were talking about in the context of the AFL and NRL, not rinky dink second tier fumble leagues.

I never said those leagues were bigger than the NRL, obviously they are not. I just see them as being national, whereas the NRL in my opinion is not. If after the Super League war ended Perth and Adelaide were prioritised and two superfluous Sydney teams like the Sharks and Rabbitohs had been demoted to the NSw Cup state league my view on this would be very different today.

Only someone with no understanding of rugby league would think that the Rabbitohs are a superfluous team. You don't know what you're talking about.

 

[storm1999]

Only someone with no understanding of rugby league would think that the Rabbitohs are a superfluous team. You don't know what you're talking about.

Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer obviously thought so given they were literally kicked out of the comp.