Monday Night Football - stay or go?

[undertaker]

This thread looks interesting so far. Just a few things I'd like to raise regarding this issue:

1) Do you think that Monday Night games are played too early? Would you like to see the kickoff move back to about 7:20-7:30pm? Personally, I think 7pm is a bit early, especially if the game is held in an area where public transport and heavy traffic are obstacles for people.

2) I think if Monday Night Football is scrapped in favour of a Sunday twilight/evening game, that could have some potential. The Sunday game could kickoff at either 6pm or 6:30pm, which would mean that the game would finish early enough for the kids and other people who have an issue with waking up early the next morning. 6:30pm offers more potential for a FTA network. For Fox, a 6:30pm kickoff also allows for half-hour pre-game show at 6pm (after the conclusion of the Ch9 4pm game, which I still believe Ch9 should show live rather than delayed after all these years), so for me, 6:30pm would be more ideal, meaning the game would finish at approximately 8:15pm. For the first three rounds of the season during DST it would still be daylight for at least the first half of the game.

3) I was also wondering of what you guys would think about Thursday Night Football? I guess The Footy Show wouldn't be too pleased with that (as it overlaps into their show, but I can guarantee you that the game would rate more than the ratings Sydney and Brisbane have been receiving in the first two weeks of the Footy Show), but how do you think Thursday Night Football would be received compared to Monday Night Football?

 

[gronkathon]

A simple tweaking to a 7:30pm start would make me getting to MNF where the Tigers are involved much more likely. A 7pm kick off is a major hassle and rush for me and there are gamedays where I decide I can't be bothered. That extra 30 minutes in kick off would make a huge difference for me.

I like the concept though. It keeps RL in the media cycle longer in terms of game discussion and rates very well for a PayTV only product

 

[imasharkie]

I don't mind it as long as all teams have it equally split.
Pretty sure there were teams that didn't play a Monday night game last year.

 

[El Diablo]

The second friday game should be the first to go or Nein should give us the option to watch both games.

this

even though most weeks i can chose which order i still hate the two FNF games on 9

 

[Noa]

As Gallop said,if MNF is withdrawn,it would have an adverse effect on the new rights to cover games.

He said that, really ? Im suprsied he didnt come out and say if Fox want to keep there #1 show when clubs dont like the timeslot then theyll have to be prepared to fork out some love.

But thats just me.

 

[Bay City]

So we are looking to double tv revenue AND take away Fox's highest rating match. Tough sell.

6 Days ago Fox management were doing cartwheels over the opening MNF ratings, I can't see they are going to want to give it up and maybe a free to air channel makes a run at it.

Also to be considered is that MNF offers great exposure to the league. It is not competing against other codes, so a sports lover in other markets will be more likely to watch (Mlbn/Perth); Fox dedicate 4 hrs to it; and it is broadcast live on a mainstream FM station (in Syd at least).

Address the compensation levels to the home team and leave Monday night.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I think they should keep it, but not every week.

Around Origin/Tests, where rounds only have 5 matches or rounds leading up to Origin/Tests should have the extra Sunday or Saturday game instead of the MNF match.

Some of the best matches are played on a Monday night and I think its a good idea. Some people say 7pm is too early, but personally I think its a perfect timeslot.

How can crowds be down? We have a really good crowd last Monday night at ANZ, but it all depends what game is played on Monday Night

 

[Dragon_Taylor6]

Love MNF on TV best coverage of any game all week.

 

[Timmah]

Personally I'm happy with MNF, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks IMO. The only suggestion or alteration I'd go with is what someone said above - 7:30pm kickoff. It's too hard to make it to a 7pm kickoff if you're an hour from the ground or more, as traffic time and parking often adds plenty of time to get there.

 

[anjado]

As someone else said one of the Friday night games should go before monday night football. Monday night football is great you must also remember in 1996 the roosters drew over 35,000 twice in Monday night games.

Move the kick off too 7:30pm - 8pm, Give better promotion and it will be fine.

People in Rugby League give up far too easily every time their is a slight a problem. Monday night football could easily become the best and most well attended match of the week.

As someone else says i bet AFL will be having a Monday night match soon. Keep the monday night game and add the Sunday night game when we get 18 teams simple.

 

[smithie]

It will be interesting to see what happens with the AFL having a Monday night game. Will it be on Foxtel or free-to-air? If AFL is on Foxtel, then NRL must be on FTA and vice-versa.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

The ratings are too good to drop it.

Instead, bend FOX over and ram them for cash. Then give that cash to the Clubs.

 

[The 18th Man]

Stay. Stay. Stay. Love it.

 

[Zoggy]

MNF gives me something to look forward to. Keep it I say

 

[Azkatro]

I wonder if State of Origin would work on Monday nights? Get through the round of footy on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then Origin on Monday night, and that gives players an extra couple of days recover for the following weekend of footy. And you could have a dual live broadcast on Nine and Fox Sports.

 

[Apey]

I am on the fence personally. Some Mondays I love it and some Mondays I can't stand it.

It always annoys me the round doesn't finish on the weekend but then when I have footy to watch on a Monday night I'm happy :lol:

 

[The 18th Man]

As I see it, it's another day of the week where we can view the greatest game of all. The only nights off, including TV show coverage of the game is Tueday if I am not mistaken? Gold if you ask me.

 

[Shorty]

If it gets more money in the next deal, like what it deserves then it can stay.
That's all it's really worth, and apart from blokes with pay tv...it doesn't really benefit anyone else.

 

[undertaker]

I just have to laugh at all the comments I read here (and also on the Daily Telegraph comments section) regarding the reintroduction of Saturday afternoon football. I briefly posted about this in another thread, but to put it simply, Saturday arvo footy will NEVER be brought back on a regular basis, even if expansion occurs to the point where an extra 2 or 4 teams means another 1-2 games per round.

Yes, I hear all the crapping on about nostalgia and the good old days in the '90s where it was the only game on tv that was broadcasted live (in the days before Foxtel), but how many times do you want to reinvent the wheel? Been there, done that. Even before it was reintroduced in 2002 (much to the dismay of virtually all clubs and supporters, as this was the lowest drawing timeslot of the week for both crowd attendances and tv ratings, hence being a lose-lose situation for everyone), the Saturday 5:30pm game was brought in as a regular fixture in 2001 to be a suitable compromise for the 3pm game (or 3:30pm game as it was in 1998) after all the bitching in whining that gone on, so that it occured during the early evening after people had finished work and children had finished playing their Saturday sports.

In the last few years, the number of sub-10,000 crowd attendances have decreased quite substantially and the NRL should be applauded for that. But, if Sat arvo is back, they'll shoot right back up just like they did in the days when ABC covered the match. Since 2002 (when the match was done away permanently), there's only been one Saturday arvo game in Sydney and that was in 2008. Yes, it drew nearly 30000 people, but only because it was the ANZAC match between Roosters and Dragons. Had the Roosters been playing any other team on a non-public holiday on Saturday arvo, they would be getting less than 10000. Already, there's been enough complaining from clubs that Monday Nights are killing their home crowds and they believe $40,000 compensation from the NRL is not enough. But, Saturday arvo will be more of a problem in the long run

 

[undertaker]

As I see it, it's another day of the week where we can view the greatest game of all. The only nights off, including TV show coverage of the game is Tueday if I am not mistaken? Gold if you ask me.

What happened to NRL Teams hosted by Andy Raymond? Wasn't that on Tuesday Night?