Grand Final kickoff time chat

[Valheru]

I love daytime footy.

Prayers answered a little while back when the NRL started letting Penrith have more Sunday afternoon matches. Its great in the colder months.

I'd love to see more of it in 2026. A day time grand final would be a huge hit I'm sure.

I dont get the obsession with a day time GF personally. Seems to be "back in my day" boomers and people who don't think BBQs work after 2PM that want it most.

There is also the think of the children crew.

The only legit argument i can see is the NZ fan base but 6PM would be fine for them or they can just stay up late one night a year.

 

[Fangs]

I dont get the obsession with a day time GF personally. Seems to be "back in my day" boomers and people who don't think BBQs work after 2PM that want it most.

There is also the think of the children crew.

The only legit argument i can see is the NZ fan base but 6PM would be fine for them or they can just stay up late one night a year.

I think thats basically it. I want a change up, something fresh.

It will come back to ratings and dollars anyway.

 

[moffla]

I think 5pm is the happy spot. Game kicks off early enough in the sun, celebrations kick in at night. Early enough for all.
f**k the news off to 8pm, they can have a post GF special.

 

[gerg]

I think 5pm is the happy spot. Game kicks off early enough in the sun, celebrations kick in at night. Early enough for all.
f**k the news off to 8pm, they can have a post GF special.

I thought about a decade ago fans were consulted and the majority agreed or wanted a daytime GF. The NRL reached a compromise of a 'twilight' GF with a 5 or 530 kick off. Then a year or two later the NRL just relented to channel 9 and went back to a night GF, without any consultation. Surely I didn't just imagine that?

 

[yakstorm]

I thought about a decade ago fans were consulted and the majority agreed or wanted a daytime GF. The NRL reached a compromise of a 'twilight' GF with a 5 or 530 kick off. Then a year or two later the NRL just relented to channel 9 and went back to a night GF, without any consultation. Surely I didn't just imagine that?

It was moved forward to 5:15pm in the Centenary Season (2008), with the NRL agreeing to move the Week 2 & 3 Finals matches from Saturday/Sunday to Friday/Saturday. They stayed at 5:15pm until 2012 when the game was moved forward to 5pm.

By 2013 it had unfortunately moved to 7:30pm, which was actually worse than what we had prior to the twilight games. Anyway here is the breakdown of all the 'official' kick off times for all GFs of the NRL era:

1998: 3:00pm
1999: 3:00pm
2000: 3:00pm
2001: 8:00pm
2002: 7:00pm
2003: 7:05pm
2004: 7:00pm
2005: 7:00pm
2006: 7:00pm
2007: 7:15pm
2008: 5:15pm
2009: 5:15pm
2010: 5:15pm
2011: 5:15pm
2012: 5:00pm
2013: 7:30pm
2014: 7:35pm
2015: 7:30pm
2016: 7:15pm
2017: 7:30pm
2018: 7:35pm
2019: 7:40pm
2020: 7:40pm
2021: 6:35pm (Brisbane GF)
2022: 7:35pm
2023: 7:30pm
2024: 7:30pm
2025: 7:30pm

 

[gerg]

It was moved forward to 5:15pm in the Centenary Season (2008), with the NRL agreeing to move the Week 2 & 3 Finals matches from Saturday/Sunday to Friday/Saturday. They stayed at 5:15pm until 2012 when the game was moved forward to 5pm.

By 2013 it had unfortunately moved to 7:30pm, which was actually worse than what we had prior to the twilight games. Anyway here is the breakdown of all the 'official' kick off times for all GFs of the NRL era:

1998: 3:00pm
1999: 3:00pm
2000: 3:00pm
2001: 8:00pm
2002: 7:00pm
2003: 7:05pm
2004: 7:00pm
2005: 7:00pm
2006: 7:00pm
2007: 7:15pm
2008: 5:15pm
2009: 5:15pm
2010: 5:15pm
2011: 5:15pm
2012: 5:00pm
2013: 7:30pm
2014: 7:35pm
2015: 7:30pm
2016: 7:15pm
2017: 7:30pm
2018: 7:35pm
2019: 7:40pm
2020: 7:40pm
2021: 6:35pm (Brisbane GF)
2022: 7:35pm
2023: 7:30pm
2024: 7:30pm
2025: 7:30pm

Crikey... I should remember that better. I was at all those Grand Finals between 2007 and 2011.

 

[Growthegame]

Only one kick off time delivered a sell out crowd and record tv ratings. Leave it at 7:30pm.

 

[Dogs Of War]

Only one kick off time delivered a sell out crowd and record tv ratings. Leave it at 7:30pm.

What do you mean? The highest crowd for a grand final was in 1999 at 3pm. As for TV ratings, well they are made to be broken as the game gets more supporters and australia grows in size.

 

[Growthegame]

What do you mean? The highest crowd for a grand final was in 1999 at 3pm. As for TV ratings, well they are made to be broken as the game gets more supporters and australia grows in size.

Who’s talking about the highest crowd for a GF. Maybe read what your responding to before responding next time?

 

[Dogs Of War]

Who’s talking about the highest crowd for a GF. Maybe read what your responding to before responding next time?

No I read it. Sell outs are always a subjective thing. Like this years was a sellout, yet it had 2k less than the grand final 2 years ago. Should have been heaps more this year with how many QLD'ers have 2 heads. 2015 Grand Final should have been unmatched.

If your moniker "Grow the game" was true. You'd much rather have an earlier grand final to tap into that NZ market a lot more. Cause that's a large group of people who we could engage much better. Thus a 4pm-6pm type timeslot make a lot more sense. Lets you have a good time for Perth and NZ at the same time. Cover all the stakeholders in the game.

The problem is currently is that channel 9 are dictating terms, and that isn't what is always in the games best interest. We push AFL into the dust if you include NZ TV ratings as well, which would only improve if the game was being shown at a better time in that country. And ultimately we should forcing what is in the games best interest, not the TV stations.

 

[mozza91]

How do they know a daytime GF won’t rate if they haven’t had one for 25 years?

 

[Growthegame]

No I read it. Sell outs are always a subjective thing. Like this years was a sellout, yet it had 2k less than the grand final 2 years ago. Should have been heaps more this year with how many QLD'ers have 2 heads. 2015 Grand Final should have been unmatched.

If your moniker "Grow the game" was true. You'd much rather have an earlier grand final to tap into that NZ market a lot more. Cause that's a large group of people who we could engage much better. Thus a 4pm-6pm type timeslot make a lot more sense. Lets you have a good time for Perth and NZ at the same time. Cover all the stakeholders in the game.

read it again then.

No if my “moniker”, as you put it was true I would want the kick off time to be when the record ratings took place.

 

[Trifili13]

Personally not fussed what time the GF is played. While the game should have some level of control of what time games are played, the broadcasters are paying the big dollars so will always have a say as they want to maximise their ratings/advertising dollars.

 

[yakstorm]

How do they know a daytime GF won’t rate if they haven’t had one for 25 years?

They don't. It honestly could rate as well as the evening timeslots, we don't know, though as mentioned in other threads, Channel 9 won't be prepared to take that risk without being forced to by the NRL in someway.

From a Nine perspective, an afternoon GF comes with two downsides. The first being, at least for year one, they won't be able to command the same dollars for advertising during the GF. With Sunday afternoon traditionally being a weaker timeslot than the evening & no recent evidence to prove otherwise for a GF, media buyers will not pay the same rate that Nine is able to command at 7:30pm.

Second issue is, it means Nine has to find other content to fill the prime time evening slot if there is no football being played.

 

[Dogs Of War]

read it again then.

No if my “moniker”, as you put it was true I would want the kick off time to be when the record ratings took place.

In Australia only. As I pointed out, you have another 5mil over the ditch we are not tapping into properly. Taking a grand final 2hrs earlier allows a hell of a lot more of them to watch. Which in turn provides record ratings when you take into account our reach into NZ with a game that is not starting at 10:30pm. A more reasonable time brings in better money.

 

[Vic Mackey]

Personally think 5.30-6.00pm is the best time

 

[PARRA_FAN]

They don't. It honestly could rate as well as the evening timeslots, we don't know, though as mentioned in other threads, Channel 9 won't be prepared to take that risk without being forced to by the NRL in someway.

From a Nine perspective, an afternoon GF comes with two downsides. The first being, at least for year one, they won't be able to command the same dollars for advertising during the GF. With Sunday afternoon traditionally being a weaker timeslot than the evening & no recent evidence to prove otherwise for a GF, media buyers will not pay the same rate that Nine is able to command at 7:30pm.

Second issue is, it means Nine has to find other content to fill the prime time evening slot if there is no football being played.

Surely replaying Die Hard or Under Siege would rate pretty well lol

 

[Billythekid]

The NZ argument should be enough. We’re talking about potentially expanding with another team there and how much of a growth market NZ potentially is and yet we show the game at 10pm on a Sunday night there. Absolute madness.

BBQ’s do work later at night but I think most of us prefer to do them during the day or at least a bit earlier.

Also yeah the game finishes too damn late. As someone with kids that does suck and they are part of our current and more importantly future audience. Also it makes it harder to kick on and have a good time after the GF. Not all of us want to or even can be out celebrating late into the night so it basically means GF finishes and then straight off to bed party over.

Oh and if you’re travelling from anywhere not in the heart of Sydney for the GF you’re basically f**ked. I live in Newy and my options are basically to book a hotel in Sydney or probably be getting back home like 1 in the morning if I leave straight away and get lucky.

 

[Sime_11]

Personally think 5.30-6.00pm is the best time

get the daylight start, get the night time end + party celebrations - best of both worlds

need more firework celebrations as well to go with the confetti - kids love that shit and the prices they charge for tickets would cover firework costs

 

[Diesel]

I’ve watched GF’s in NZ at 10pm and it’s a terrible experience. So many lost viewers. Most of the Pacific is on a similar Timezone to NZ and there’s a huge amount of Polynesians playing in the NRL.
A twilight GF is the best option