How to revitalize Monday Night Football

[PaulyTom]

The move away from Monday night football is never going to happen with the broadcast deal. So how can we make Monday night football more appealing to the public?

Here is a few items I would change-

$10 Monday night football. That's right $10 for all general admission tickets. I think if we sold it as $10 Mondays people would be more likely to bring their families a long as the experience would be affordable. The home team could concentrate on filling the side of the ground that the camera is facing to achieve a better look for Rugby League.

Reduce food / drink prices. $5 beers / $4 hot dogs / $3 chips.

Play all Monday night games at local suburban grounds so we don't have 70K seats empty at ANZ or 40K empty seats at Allianz like we experienced in the Roosters vs Storm game. I think the Bulldogs Monday night game showed with the right promotion it can be very successful.

Following from my last point. Engage with the local communities . Leichhardt and Belmore are 2 examples of where this could be a success. Whether its a promotion with the local community to get them involved in the club or an open training session/meet the players on the Saturday or Sunday prior to the Monday night. Players could run a coaching clinc for all kids that attend. Developing ties with the local community around the ground is very important and if the clubs are smart can be an easy exercise .

More NRL promotion. Targeted Social media promotion works well.These are just a few ideas .

And I'm sure the viewers of this forum can add a few.

 

[Perth Red]

Free entry to members of both clubs
Make Cronulla, manly and Canberra play on Mondays, they get sht crowds anyway

 

[insert.pause]

- Monday night games reduced to 16, with 1 per club.
- NRL buys the games from the clubs, compensating them for traditionally poor Monday night attendances, increasing club funding & reducing club expenses.
- NRL can satisfy strategic growth initiatives by scheduling games in new markets, sold to venues across AUS, at the discretion of the NRL.
- NRL gets all the gate, creating a new revenue stream & growing non-broadcast revenues.
- Each game is an 'event' with the NRL responsible for it's marketing, potentially boosting traditionally poor attendance.
- Ensures the NRL don't sacrifice broadcast revenue by dumping the high rating Monday night time slot.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

What do you mean revitalise? They would have to have been vitalised first. That was briefly in 1996. Good luck.

 

[Charlie124]

Multiball!!!

 

[Mongoloid]

Sorry but you can't, for me that's a rest day off the grog. Unless the Broncs or the cowbs are playing I don't bother watching, I record the matty johns show for Tuesday arvo

 

[Packy]

Miracle Monday. Play 8 games back to back at the same venue each week. Obviously changing venues weekly.

 

[Perth Red]

Rebrand it mad Monday. Free alcohol at the game for any bloke dressed In drag or as a superhero

 

[BradMackay]

Play it in PNG each Monday night

 

[phonetic]

In all seriousness the TV ratings windfall needs to be partially given away to subsidise the effort of getting more people in the ground.. if we're to be taken seriously as a code.

MNF - no one goes but everyone watches. So everyone watches a game no one bothers going to. Needs to change.

 

[Perth Red]

Clubs do get a Monday night payment don't they as compensation?

 

[insert.pause]

Only like $60k

 

[lockyno1]

1. Don't play Monday night. Case closed.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

Firstly,
All the Monday night haters, please check yourself before you wreck yourself.

There is NO logical reason to hate MNF.

What else is there to do and watch on a Monday night?
My kitchen rules? Please.

There is no choice of Afl or rugby so it's the only sport on the box at a time when there are no sports on.

As for a way to get attendances up, have 'magic Monday' wherein teams embrace the heritage era of the 70s 80s and 90s
Instead of heritage round let's have Monday aheritage game with a retro theme.
Old jerseys , old themed music and style (such as fururistic space letters etc) and of course old grounds.

I promise the fans will adore it

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

- Monday night games reduced to 16, with 1 per club.
- NRL buys the games from the clubs, compensating them for traditionally poor Monday night attendances, increasing club funding & reducing club expenses.
- NRL can satisfy strategic growth initiatives by scheduling games in new markets, sold to venues across AUS, at the discretion of the NRL.
- NRL gets all the gate, creating a new revenue stream & growing non-broadcast revenues.
- Each game is an 'event' with the NRL responsible for it's marketing, potentially boosting traditionally poor attendance.
- Ensures the NRL don't sacrifice broadcast revenue by dumping the high rating Monday night time slot.

I may be slow at the moment but how is point 1 even possible. Mind you it is nearly 1am and I've been up for close to 24 hours. But we have 16 teams. How can they each play 1 Monday night game with a total of 16 Monday night games a season???

All your points also seem like flash wording without any actual ideas. As example making it an event. Most of it sounds like typical nrl fluff hahaha...no offence mate.

I personally think league fans are merkins that enjoy complaining about all sorts of shit. If the AFL can attract a crowd then why not us. The NFL has Monday night football and games sellout regardless of how shit the team is going. Plus there games conclude at nearly at midnight during their broadcast.

My idea...well I would say it won't be solved the Monday night crowd is typical crap compared to the other days, but in fairness our crowds across the rounds are quite similar. We need to fix them in general not just on Monday night games.

Our stadium infrastructure is terrible. The viewing within ANZ is crap and most of the larger stadiums are similar. Travel to these stadiums generally suck. The pricing is terrible and why would people spend so much for one game that is wrapped up in 90 minutes.

Our sport was made for television. We will always have these crowd figures.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

What do you mean revitalise? They would have to have been vitalised first. That was briefly in 1996. Good luck.

I remember those days. It was fresh and exciting in 96. I remember that Roosters/Broncos game. Andrew Walker shape's to kick and then runs and sets up an awesome try. Andrew Gee makes a stupid mistake and gives the Roosters are penalty in front to win the game. Roosters all pat him on stupid scummy head.

Good times.

MNF is just garbage these days.

 

[DiegoNT]

- Monday night games reduced to 16, with 1 per club.
- NRL buys the games from the clubs, compensating them for traditionally poor Monday night attendances, increasing club funding & reducing club expenses.
- NRL can satisfy strategic growth initiatives by scheduling games in new markets, sold to venues across AUS, at the discretion of the NRL.
- NRL gets all the gate, creating a new revenue stream & growing non-broadcast revenues.
- Each game is an 'event' with the NRL responsible for it's marketing, potentially boosting traditionally poor attendance.
- Ensures the NRL don't sacrifice broadcast revenue by dumping the high rating Monday night time slot.

I think you make some good points, though dropping to only 16 mnf fixtures is probably unrealistic. The Monday night game is here to stay, its successful on tv, and makes the game money, yet the nrl can still get more out of it.
The 'make each game an event' was perfectly illustrated with the back to Belmore promotion. It created a great buzz about the fixture and was great tv viewing (even though it wasn't the greatest game, I was never switching off). The crowd of 16,000 wasn't really that impressive, but it was more positive for the game, and the bulldogs community, then if 16,000 turned up at ANZ ( and being a mnf game against storm, it probably would've of drawed a sub 10k crowd). Take each game to a new venue ( surbuban or new markets) promote the hell out of the game ( use the Matty John show crew as well, hindy and fletch are a great asset). Sydney people are spoilt with choice, they get so many nrl games that Monday night football is miss able because it's on at an unconvinient time for them, but take the game to a place that is nrl starved and it would become an unmissable event.

 

[betcats]

Make the dogs play at Belmore every monday

 

[Bulldog Force]

Since the inception of MNF, I've said no, it will never work, and I'm yet to be proven wrong. Granted, I loved the game at Belmore on Monday night and that was a success, but that was a special event that was a success because it was at Belmore Sports Ground, and NOT indicative of the day/time of the week. I would've much preferred that game any other time Friday night to Sunday night.

The arrogance of the NRL is costing it $10,000 a week (per host club) to compensate of potential lost ticket sales. Having this game live on a Sunday night at 6:30pm would likely get more viewers and bums on seats that MNF.

My ideal scheduled:

- Friday: 7:30pm (FTA)
- Saturday: 3:00pm (FTA), 5:30pm, 7:30pm
- Sunday: 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm (FTA), 6:30pm

Now for those against the Saturday afternoon FTA game, it's been working on other channels for years and been a success.

 

[Valheru]

- Monday night games reduced to 16, with 1 per club.
- NRL buys the games from the clubs, compensating them for traditionally poor Monday night attendances, increasing club funding & reducing club expenses.
- NRL can satisfy strategic growth initiatives by scheduling games in new markets, sold to venues across AUS, at the discretion of the NRL.
- NRL gets all the gate, creating a new revenue stream & growing non-broadcast revenues.
- Each game is an 'event' with the NRL responsible for it's marketing, potentially boosting traditionally poor attendance.
- Ensures the NRL don't sacrifice broadcast revenue by dumping the high rating Monday night time slot.

Agreed

There is absolutely no need for any more than 16 Monday night games. Of the other 10 rounds, six are origin affected with at least one less game and two further rounds already don?t have a Monday game (the round prior to rep week and round 26). That leaves just two full rounds where there wouldn?t be a Monday game.