Karma bites Nine and Fix big time

[Dr.J]

For years I have been massively p-ssed off by the fact that Nine and Fox won't release the dates of NRL games until a few weeks in advance (unlike every other professional football competition in the world which somehow manage to do so in the obviously misguided belief that it helps fans plan their travel to games). David Gallop throws his hands up as if he isn't actually running the competition (like he doesn't have any right whatsoever to fix the dates at the start of the year) but instead is resigned to the fact that TV companies are basically organising his fixtures for him.

Nothing has stopped me being totally frustrated with this scenario for the last 10 years until today.....when I heard that the Australian Masters golf had refused to give Nine and Foxtel advance notice of what time Tiger F. Woods was teeing off on Thursday, and when they finally have told the TV stations, it turns out that Nine have locked in children's TV programs for just about his entire round.

Suck sh-t Channel Nine and Foxtel, you reap what you sow.

 

[Coaster]

Nine Maybe, but Fox are showing every minute of the Golf, so i doubt they would care, they are also showing on the Active channel, Woods entire round, and have one hole set up as live all day also.

Also on the footy, Fox would prefer i am sure to have the game schedule just like us, for there interactive menus, they have to wait until Nine picks the eyes out of it first.

 

[Mr Saab]

I like the fact that games are not announced until 5-6 weeks before hand. If they had released all the TV times for the 2009 season in Jan then we would have been smashed with Sharks and Roosters games based on their 2008 form.
History shows those 2 teams played like crap (injury & attitude issues) and we hardly saw them on channel 9.

 

[Timmah]

While I'd love a full season schedule, Saab has a point.

 

[Dr.J]

I like the fact that games are not announced until 5-6 weeks before hand. If they had released all the TV times for the 2009 season in Jan then we would have been smashed with Sharks and Roosters games based on their 2008 form.
History shows those 2 teams played like crap (injury & attitude issues) and we hardly saw them on channel 9.

Do you also like the fact that most NRL teams (even the so-called 'well supported' ones) struggle to get 5000 season ticket holders, yet teams which fewer people 'care' about such as the Swans, Waratahs, Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, North Melbourne Kangaroos, Western Bulldogs etc etc easily sell way more season tickets than the NRL teams because they can actually tell their fans when the games are on when they are asking them to part with their money?

 

[Timmah]

Do you also like the fact that most NRL teams (even the so-called 'well supported' ones) struggle to get 5000 season ticket holders, yet teams which fewer people 'care' about such as the Swans, Waratahs, Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, North Melbourne Kangaroos, Western Bulldogs etc etc easily sell way more season tickets than the NRL teams because they can actually tell their fans when the games are on when they are asking them to part with their money?

There's still a draw you goose, it's not like the games are picked out of a hat week-to-week.

NRL season tickets aren't averaging 5000+ per club yet because there's never been a significant push for memberships until now.

 

[Dr.J]

There's still a draw you goose, it's not like the games are picked out of a hat week-to-week.

NRL season tickets aren't averaging 5000+ per club yet because there's never been a significant push for memberships until now.

My mistake, every single marketing and membership department has been crap for the last decade, but now that there has been a 'push' next year Parramatta will have 30,000 season ticket holders, the Bulldogs and Dragons will get 25,000 and the clubs like the Roosters and the Sharks who had a bad year and have lower supporter bases will only sell 17,000 memberships each.

Or do you think that maybe they won't because a few people will call up the membership departments and enquire about a season ticket and ask fairly basic questions like "how many Monday night games do we have this year, because i can't come Monday nights as I finish work at 6.30pm and that doesn't give me time to get to the ground?", and when the membership assistant can't answer questions like ths, they will decide to watch all of their team's games on TV like everyone else.

 

[Timmah]

So 'a few people' is the reason RL's membership is lower than the rest? :lol:

Membership has been low because it's never been a widely advertised thing until now. End of.

 

[Coppo_ForeverYOUNG]

Timmah's right untill last year or so a membership was just advertised by some sh*tty little icon on the team page.
There has been a huge surge in memberships due to the nrl's advertising push towards it.

 

[RoMo]

Why don't Nein just lock in parra, brisbane, saints and the beirut bombers for friday nights every week ... oh they already do ..

 

[ByRd]

Beirut bombers, yeh real funny idiot

 

[Inferno]

I like the fact that games are not announced until 5-6 weeks before hand. If they had released all the TV times for the 2009 season in Jan then we would have been smashed with Sharks and Roosters games based on their 2008 form.
History shows those 2 teams played like crap (injury & attitude issues) and we hardly saw them on channel 9.

Don't have to release the tv times but they could release the dates games are being played. They could have 2 games friday night, and 3 on sat, 3 on sunday. f**k the Monday night game off, and 5 or 6 weeks out nine could pick what game they want to air. Still leaves them with a little wiggle room and choice.

 

[Timmah]

Awwww...

Anyone would think those teams rate their asses off :sarcasm:

 

[thuggdogg]

is membership even that good?
i can see why in the AFL where seating preference is an issue.

but in league you'll just be giving discounted rates to the people who would go anyway on full price.

we arent converting any princesses to prostitutes here just preaching to the choir.

 

[Paullyboy]

I still dont understand why everyone whinges so much about them not realeasing the draw. As Saab pointed out, it works out well for us because we are saved from having to watch whoever was good last year occupy the marquee games. If you honestly think knowing exactly what day your team is playing 4 months from now will help increase ticket sales significantly than you are kidding yourself.

People just complain for the sake of it, and this issue is proof of it.

 

[Dr.J]

So 'a few people' is the reason RL's membership is lower than the rest? :lol:

Membership has been low because it's never been a widely advertised thing until now. End of.

Please please Timmah and anyone else who thinks that memberships are suddenly going to rocket through the roof next year when the whole schedule is still set up with the purpose of maximising TV ratings and minimising attendances, feel free to make a 'big statement' such as "If the Bulldogs don't have 15,000 season ticket holders by next April i will change my avatar to the Western Sydney AFL nuffies for one month".

 

[Timmah]

Why would I suggest such a stupid thing? You're whining for the sake of it.

 

[Billythekid]

Please please Timmah and anyone else who thinks that memberships are suddenly going to rocket through the roof next year when the whole schedule is still set up with the purpose of maximising TV ratings and minimising attendances, feel free to make a 'big statement' such as "If the Bulldogs don't have 15,000 season ticket holders by next April i will change my avatar to the Western Sydney AFL nuffies for one month".

Expecting the number of season ticket holders to double in one year is geniused.

The AFL never did this. It takes time to build it up.

This year the dogs are going to pass 10,000 IMO which is a strong improvement over last year.

Our total number of memberships across the NRL has doubled since 2006 and i would say that's pretty impressive growth.

What Timmah said is spot on, since we have actually started pushing memberships we have pretty quickly doubled our numbers.

Hows about you make a 'big statement' like the one you suggested. I think the NRL will continue to see a solid 20,000+ season ticket holders each year.

What do you think will happen? Why not actually make a predition.

 

[Timmah]

Membership reached 100,000+ total in 2009 if I recall correctly. 120,000+ isn't out of the question, especially with clubs such as Parramatta and Canterbury likely to record increases.

 

[Firey_Dragon]

So 'a few people' is the reason RL's membership is lower than the rest? :lol:

Membership has been low because it's never been a widely advertised thing until now. End of.

Membership will always be a problem for league. The problem doesn't lie with advertising or price points, it's biggest problem is that it looks too good on TV. The game adapts well to TV in comparison to sports like AFL and soccer that you miss alot of the action off the ball with a tv broadcast, the inverse can be said about league in that you can miss alot of the little nuances in a game when actually viewing it from the crowd.

It's a hard sell to most casual fans to get a membership when more often than not they'll find themselves looking at the big screen during a game. I think it's a bit optimistic to assume we'll even come close to the membership numbers of the AFL for that very reason, but it's also ridiculous that we're earning less in TV rights for that very reason.

Now this normally wouldn't be a problem in a country where the population could support that mindset. But assuming we have 5 games in Sydney per week and an average ground capacity of around 30,000-40,000 when you factor in ANZ and the SFS you come up with a figure of around 150,000-200,000 vacant seats per weekend, considering Sydney has a greater metro population of only 4 million, you're expecting 1 in 20 people to attend to fill those seats. When many see the game as more watchable on TV, its a very hard sell, especially when you consider, probably not even half of that population actually watches league.