Monday Night Football - stay or go?

[CMUX]

This is a tough one.

I love watching Monday night footy at home but I cringe at the thought of my team playing home games on Monday nights ... it’s just not a night I want to go to the footy.

 

[Azkatro]

I posted this on Twitter, thought I'd add it in here:

Percentages of crowds under 10k in the NRL era by day (including finals matches)

Friday: 11.25%
Saturday: 38.38%
Sunday: 31.18%
Monday: 23.15%

So in terms of attendance Monday is out-performing the weekend, but this may be due to the fact that it's effectively the "third best" game each weekend as hand-picked by Foxtel. Still, it makes it difficult to argue that crowds on Monday night are necessarily any worse than those on the weekend, especially Saturday nights.

 

[Whos Ya Daddy]

MNF rates well so it's going no where. Rightfully so as well. Expect the quality of game on MNF to remain strong as well. It might hurt the crowd figures but clubs can be compensated for that minor loss.

There is no difference between a short back regardless of the day/night you play on. It's unprofessional to suggest such rubbish.

MNF is offered the best coverage of the week and those complaining obviously don't have Foxtel or are just fanboys. Get f**ked it's staying

 

[Raidersrawesome]

I like it , it gives me another chance to see a game ( live ) because of work rosters I dont usually get to see all games.

If they drop this game from Monday then add another game because of the addition of new teams , that 2 games they have to fit in on the weekend.

 

[Saint Doc]

There needs to be a Monday night football strategy.

The games can't be picked on a whim, they must be carefully selected, promoted etc. If it's at a ground with decent capacity, all members should get in free (of all clubs). It needs to be an event!

 

[Azkatro]

Double post

 

[skeepe]

Saturday afternoon doesnt work because many people are working and many people, both juniors and seniors, are playing various sports at that time.

This isn't true everywhere. In Canberra, junior and senior league is generally played on Sundays.

That said, while I do enjoy Monday nights, if they were to move it then I think Sunday twilight is the best option.

I remember a few seasons back when the Roosters vs Rabbitohs round 1 clash was on a Sunday evening, it was great. It meant I was able to go watch the Raiders beat the Dragons at Kogarah (again), then jump on a train and head to the SFS, arriving in time for kick off.

 

[juro]

Personally, I don't like MNF but then I don't have foxtel. I hate it when my team has to play on Mondays because you have to wait so long. I hate that you get the Monday paper with the big wrap-up of the weekend, but there is still one game to go.

It is unreasonable to expect people to be able to get to the game for 7pm kickoff when Fridays kickoff at 7:30. It is no surprise that crowds are terrible. And it is unreasonable that the networks decide who plays on Monday, so some clubs will have more or less of these terrible scheduling.

The only way I would be happy enough to accept MNF is if Foxtel pays a truckload for the TV rights, and the NRL passes on an acceptable share of the cash to the clubs who are put out.

Please NRL, grow a backbone and stand up to the networks for once! If they want it, make them pay for it!

 

[Tap Twist Snap]

It rates so well I can't see it being a positive if it disapears. It could well cost hundreds of thousands in the TV rights deal. I think they just need to plan it better. Only have 16 Monday night games a year. Make them non home games and move them to either one or a select few grounds where the size of the crowds do not matter so much. Make sure it is fair so each team misses only features twice per season and only misses one home game because of it. They need to have it all set up before the season so people who would like to travel can.

They also need to have something going on, on the nights to encorage new people to turn up... Find a sponsor who is willing to give away a car or something like that every Monday night. I think they could make it an event like It is in the NFL. Would be even better if it was on free to air TV. I think the ratings would crush anything that is on TV and would give each clubs sponsors massive exposure that would make up for lack of crowds.

 

[Raiderdave]

they are a ratings Bonaza for FOX
the first round this year attracting a record 365,000 veiwers on average & peaking at 457,000
thats FTA sized figures .... & huge for a pay tv coverage
not surpsrising .. league is the best TV sport there is & what else is there to do on a monday night except stay in & watch the game

if fox are willing to pay the big $$$ for these games ( & I mean BIG ) & this is passed onto the clubs as compensation for lost gate takings then they should stay

if not
then get rid of them

 

[Raidersrawesome]

Another bonus of Monday night is that you dont have a sh*tty weekend because your team lost on Friday night

 

[juro]

I posted this on Twitter, thought I'd add it in here:

Percentages of crowds under 10k in the NRL era by day (including finals matches)

Friday: 11.25%
Saturday: 38.38%
Sunday: 31.18%
Monday: 23.15%

So in terms of attendance Monday is out-performing the weekend, but this may be due to the fact that it's effectively the "third best" game each weekend as hand-picked by Foxtel. Still, it makes it difficult to argue that crowds on Monday night are necessarily any worse than those on the weekend, especially Saturday nights.

Do you have stats on the average crowd for each day?

 

[adamkungl]

I hate going to Monday night games but I like watching them. There needs to be some compromise.

Firstly, bring in 2 new teams so we have 9 games, adding an extra game on either Sat or Sun, depending on who is playing at the time. Make it flexible. Possible time slots:

Sat 3:30 - Super Saturday goes from 3 til 11!
Sat 7:30 in Perth - live 9:30 game for the Eastern states.
Sun 12:00 or 5:00 - extra live game for foxtel or 9
Sun 2:00 or 3:00 - it's a damn good time to play footy

Keep Monday nights, but slash ticket prices. Compensate clubs for the difference.

Oh, and move kickoff to 7:45 ffs. How are people meant to get home from work and have dinner before the footy.

 

[Billythekid]

It can go unless foxtel is going to actually stop underpaying us. Despite the huge ratings for monday games we are still stuck getting half as much as the AFL from them.

 

[skeepe]

I hate going to Monday night games but I like watching them. There needs to be some compromise.

Firstly, bring in 2 new teams so we have 9 games, adding an extra game on either Sat or Sun, depending on who is playing at the time. Make it flexible. Possible time slots:

Sat 3:30 - Super Saturday goes from 3 til 11!
Sat 7:30 in Perth - live 9:30 game for the Eastern states.
Sun 12:00 or 5:00 - extra live game for foxtel or 9
Sun 2:00 or 3:00 - it's a damn good time to play footy

Keep Monday nights, but slash ticket prices. Compensate clubs for the difference.

Sunday at 4:00pm in Perth would mean a live game at 6:00pm in the east... I reckon that'd also be a goer.

 

[Raiderdave]

This isn't true everywhere. In Canberra, junior and senior league is generally played on Sundays.

That said, while I do enjoy Monday nights, if they were to move it then I think Sunday twilight is the best option.

I remember a few seasons back when the Roosters vs Rabbitohs round 1 clash was on a Sunday evening, it was great. It meant I was able to go watch the Raiders beat the Dragons at Kogarah (again), then jump on a train and head to the SFS, arriving in time for kick off.

no .. only the juniors are on Sundays
the seniors can be either day ...& the day senior games are played in Canberra is usually depedant on when the Raiders play so as not to clash
but even this is changing .....
the Raiders next home game V the Titans 5.30pm Saturday April 2nd also coincides with the Start of the local senior comp , & 3 games are scheduled for this same day in town ...

 

[Jason Maher]

I posted this on Twitter, thought I'd add it in here:

Percentages of crowds under 10k in the NRL era by day (including finals matches)

Friday: 11.25%
Saturday: 38.38%
Sunday: 31.18%
Monday: 23.15%

So in terms of attendance Monday is out-performing the weekend, but this may be due to the fact that it's effectively the "third best" game each weekend as hand-picked by Foxtel. Still, it makes it difficult to argue that crowds on Monday night are necessarily any worse than those on the weekend, especially Saturday nights.

#-o

So when you factor in two or three games on a Saturday and Sunday vs a single game on Monday...

 

[skeepe]

no .. only the juniors are on Sundays
the seniors can be either day ...& the day senior games are played in Canberra is usually depedant on when the Raiders play so as not to clash
but even this is changing .....
the Raiders next home game V the Titans 5.30pm Saturday April 2nd also coincides with the Start of the local senior comp , & 3 games are scheduled for this same day in town ...

My point was that seniors are played on Sundays, which is true even if not exclusively so.

I wasn't aware they changed the senior games depending on the Raiders, it hasn't seemed that way to me.

 

[Azkatro]

Do you have stats on the average crowd for each day?

Sure. I removed finals matches as an added bonus:

Friday: 18,942 (443 games)
Saturday: 13,576 (982 games)
Sunday: 14,373 (960 games)
Monday: 13,888 (140 games)

 

[Danish]

Monday night footy is brilliant. It rates its arse off and regularly gets big ratings (worth a hell of a lot more than an extra thousand people in the stands)

What's more once we expand it will be essentially mandatory given the extra game will undoubtedly be put on Sunday night anyway.

The clubs need to get their heads around the fact that TV rights is where the NRL and clubs will be making their money. The thought that idiots like Richardson would be happy to net an extra 10-50k a couple times per year by having his club's Monday games on the weekend at the expense of millions in TV rights just shows why the independent commission needs to stay independent.

I also question how sponsors could possibly hate Monday nights. It rates its arse off so they would love it