2024 Crowd Watch

[Timmah]

In my opinion the crowd last night was disappointing… the competition leader versus the hottest team in the comp in a possible grand final preview… I think it was an opportunity lost , particularly as the Storm played a fantastic game …perhaps as someone mentioned above more could have been done to get a bigger crowd with marketing and ticket deals … although being interstate I dont know what actually was done in this regard…

No one appears to agree with me ,so obviously my expectations were too high ..I’ll keep them in check moving forward …

I just think it's wild you're hyper-critical of an emerging market averaging higher than a chunk of Sydney clubs who absolutely need more scrutiny than they're getting.

Melbourne are going just fine given they are a minority sport in their city. Yesterday they were up against the end of a 74,000 MCG game (whether you think so or not, a big game next door will impact the gate at the game across the road), probably the worst day of winter so far, and still cracked 17k.

Where's the criticism for Canberra getting 8k on Friday night in the same vein?

 

[BuffaloRules]

I just think it's wild you're hyper-critical of an emerging market averaging higher than a chunk of Sydney clubs who absolutely need more scrutiny than they're getting.

Melbourne are going just fine given they are a minority sport in their city. Yesterday they were up against the end of a 74,000 MCG game (whether you think so or not, a big game next door will impact the gate at the game across the road), probably the worst day of winter so far, and still cracked 17k.

Where's the criticism for Canberra getting 8k on Friday night in the same vein?

see my comment above yours if you are genuinely interested in further explanations as to what I based my opinions on…

 

[Vlad59]

Victorian media is ridiculously AFL centric. Even for major successes, local media treats Storm a poor second (or worse). It has improved massively since the early days of the Storm but RL is still an 'also ran' news item.

Footnote.
In the early days we used to have to go to pubs that could get Imparja's feed from the NT to watch live RL.*
Even the channel Nein games were broadcast at stupid O'clock in the morning if at all - this despite contract clauses with the NRL that Nein televised games should be shown in Melbourne on the day of play. Rarely did they start before midnight, and often there were "technical issues" or other overnight sporting events (or old episodes of Prisoner or something equally crap) which meant the RL broadcast was bumped. We wrote and emailed Nein and the NRL, submitted applications to the ACA/ACMA and even picketed Nein's offices in Bendigo St.

Cable TV improved the situation somewhat but we were still unable to get Nein games on the day when I left Melbourne in 2006. At that time the only regular RL on radio was SEN - there was a regular spot on Kevin Bartlett's show on Wednesday mornings, and Francis Leach was happy to talk to the odd Storm player - and nothing outside of that. MMM at the time treated League like the Black Death.

In Tasmania we got the same feed. I had friends in Canberra tape Sunday games and send them to me to watch. State of origin was often in delay with the afl deliberately scheduling a charity game for some dead bloke on the night of game 2 with nine obligingly showing it instead. When we got the game going again down here in 2009 we managed to get an increase in coverage in the media off the back of our local comp and a Storm trial but it was bloody hard work. We should not take for granted the increase in coverage the Storm get now in vic and states like mine. It has been an excruciating process in a very hostile market.

 

[Iamback]

I just think it's wild you're hyper-critical of an emerging market averaging higher than a chunk of Sydney clubs who absolutely need more scrutiny than they're getting.

Melbourne are going just fine given they are a minority sport in their city. Yesterday they were up against the end of a 74,000 MCG game (whether you think so or not, a big game next door will impact the gate at the game across the road), probably the worst day of winter so far, and still cracked 17k.

Where's the criticism for Canberra getting 8k on Friday night in the same vein?

The population difference between Canberra and Melbourne for starters

One a weeknight one a Friday night.

 

[Vlad59]

The population difference between Canberra and Melbourne for starters

One a weeknight one a Friday night.

Canberra raiders are the only show in town. Melbourne are one of ten and represent a minority sport. I’m not being critical of Canberra. Crowd was fine in the circumstances. So was the storms.

 

[Wb1234]

I just think it's wild you're hyper-critical of an emerging market averaging higher than a chunk of Sydney clubs who absolutely need more scrutiny than they're getting.

Melbourne are going just fine given they are a minority sport in their city. Yesterday they were up against the end of a 74,000 MCG game (whether you think so or not, a big game next door will impact the gate at the game across the road), probably the worst day of winter so far, and still cracked 17k.

Where's the criticism for Canberra getting 8k on Friday night in the same vein?

Emerging market is a bit of a stretch

 

[BuffaloRules]

Victorian media is ridiculously AFL centric. Even for major successes, local media treats Storm a poor second (or worse). It has improved massively since the early days of the Storm but RL is still an 'also ran' news item.

Footnote.
In the early days we used to have to go to pubs that could get Imparja's feed from the NT to watch live RL.*
Even the channel Nein games were broadcast at stupid O'clock in the morning if at all - this despite contract clauses with the NRL that Nein televised games should be shown in Melbourne on the day of play. Rarely did they start before midnight, and often there were "technical issues" or other overnight sporting events (or old episodes of Prisoner or something equally crap) which meant the RL broadcast was bumped. We wrote and emailed Nein and the NRL, submitted applications to the ACA/ACMA and even picketed Nein's offices in Bendigo St.

Cable TV improved the situation somewhat but we were still unable to get Nein games on the day when I left Melbourne in 2006. At that time the only regular RL on radio was SEN - there was a regular spot on Kevin Bartlett's show on Wednesday mornings, and Francis Leach was happy to talk to the odd Storm player - and nothing outside of that. MMM at the time treated League like the Black Death.

These are reasonable justifications for constraints that existed 20 years ago …. but a lot has changed since then… the on field games are thoroughly covered live these days in my opinion inexpensively … in addition there is more than enough on line media coverage available that isn’t reliant on the local TV news channels to publicise

 

[BuffaloRules]

Emerging market is a bit of a stretch

Exactly ..27 seasons now

 

[Vlad59]

These are reasonable justifications for constraints that existed 20 years ago …. but a lot has changed since then… the on field games are thoroughly covered live these days in my opinion inexpensively … in addition there is more than enough on line media coverage available that isn’t reliant on the local TV news channels to publicise

Maybe if you lived in an expansion state you’d understand the challenges. They were not solved 20 years ago. Try watching the sports news down here. It’s all one way and it’s very difficult to change.

 

[BuffaloRules]

The population difference between Canberra and Melbourne for starters

One a weeknight one a Friday night.

Top of the table clash and possible grand final clash, versus two also rans likely to miss the finals

 

[Wb1234]

Exactly ..27 seasons now

Plus news ltd 120 million injection which no other club got

the crowd was a bit low I suspect the weather

 

[Vlad59]

Top of the table clash and possible grand final clash, versus two also rans likely to miss the finals

Prepare to be disappointed for a long time then. Those of us who live in the real world understand the great progress being made. It’s a long road but we are getting there.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Maybe if you lived in an expansion state you’d understand the challenges. They were not solved 20 years ago. Try watching the sports news down here. It’s all one way and it’s very difficult to change.

Mate.. Channel 9 sports news can take a hike ... that goes for Sydney let alone Melbourne ..

my biggest sport these days is the NFL… doesn’t get a lot of coverage in the Sydney media .. but I don’t lack for opportunities to watch online news to keep up with what’s going on..

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

I’d be interested too as it may force their hand to do more to engage and build their casual fan base. Whilst their crowds are slowly but surely growing I do think that they could do more to expand their fan base.

I live down here and I don’t see them do much promotion or deals to get fans to their games anymore. Maybe I live under a rock because I don’t actively listen to much radio or watch FTA TV in my own time but through work I hear/see my fair share of the isual suspects, can’t remember the last time I heard or saw anything about the Storm plugging an upcoming game. Likewise ticket deals, I remember they did the Marvel stadium deal last year which resulted in 2 higher than normal crowds but don’t think I’ve seen anything this year.

In saying that I eagerly await someone more knowledgeable proving me wrong with all the media engagement and advertising the club does and I’ve just been missing it .

Sounds like they need another League team down there.

 

[Vlad59]

Mate.. Channel 9 sports news can take a hike ... that goes for Sydney let alone Melbourne ..

my biggest sport these days is the NFL… doesn’t get a lot of coverage in the Sydney news .. but I don’t lack for opportunities to watch online news to keep up with what’s going on..

Go you. What that has to do with last nights crowd and growth of the Storm? Participation, crowds, profile, social media presence are all up. It’s taken a long time but all the metrics are improving.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Go you. What that has to do with last nights crowd and growth of the Storm? Participation, crowds, profile, social media presence are all up. It’s taken a long time but all the metrics are improving.

apparently we have moved on now to discussing the lack of media coverage in Melbourne …I would say try to keep up..but you were one of the ones actually raising some of those concerns

 

[Iamback]

Top of the table clash and possible grand final clash, versus two also rans likely to miss the finals

Correct. Reverse the situations and Canberra is being filled every time.

 

[taste2taste]

17k is a very disappointing crowd for a top of the table clash, the Storm should be filling thier stadium every week.

I remember everyone's favourite LU member @Perth Red posting about his experience attending a Storm game, the tickets and food were insanely expensive. That's a sure way to keep crowds small, make it too expensive.

Speaking of Perth Red, I havnt seen him post for a while, should we check he's alright ?

 

[BuffaloRules]

Speaking of Perth Red, I havnt seen him post for a while, should we check he's alright ?

In mourning about the Perth/ Bears merger still..

 

[jim_57]

It’s crowds like last night’s Storm game where a tickets sold number would be very interesting. It was selling very well, Northern GA sold out, lower bowl down to less than 100 seats mostly in the corner, sideline top tier middle bays selling in to last few rows, even those top tier end bays that never sell had moderate sales.

Looked well on track for 20k+ so I’m guessing weather, mainly the rain coupled with that icy wind, kept people away.