Next TV deal discussion 2028 -

[Trifili13]

While all clubs should always strive to improve their crowd numbers, it's a fact of life that smaller scale teams will generally have lower crowd numbers. Then if you factor in year on year poor performances (a key driver of crowds) and changing demographics, cost of living etc and some clubs struggle to get crowds. Much easier and cheaper to fork out for a paytv subscription and sit on your lounge with a beer and watch every game than to fork out hundreds to take a family to a game, especially if your club is underperforming.

Actually, scrap the above as it would mean having to listen to Kevvie, Cronk, Ennis and the gang. Go the grounds people.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Social media is also growing further in favour of rugby league

Our popularity on social media is the sleeping giant, also the canary in the coal-mine for the fumbles.

 

[insert.pause]

If they are worried about anything, its complacency. I wrote an article last week that seems to have spawned several of these articles in mainstream media. The AFL has had several failures and has been passed in tv ratings, and while they still lead in many areas, they risk losing it all if they cant find a path forward.

Hubris is the AFL’s problem, it exists in such a bubble in Melbourne that it loses grasp with the reality that not everywhere is like Melbourne.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Hubris is the AFL’s problem, it exists in such a bubble in Melbourne that it loses grasp with the reality that not everywhere is like Melbourne.

Yeah you talk to Victorians up here in Brisbane and they just can't fathom why we aren't obsessed with AFL and prefer Rugby League. Bubble is a great way to describe it

 

[Diesel]

Our popularity on social media is the sleeping giant, also the canary in the coal-mine for the fumbles.

Social media is also a demographic for younger people.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Social media is also a demographic for younger people.

Thanks scoop.

 

[Diesel]

Yeah you talk to Victorians up here in Brisbane and they just can't fathom why we aren't obsessed with AFL and prefer Rugby League. Bubble is a great way to describe it

They’re obsessed. How often do you meet a Victorian and within a few minutes it’s the ol’ “so who do you barrack for” routine

 

[The_Wookie]

Hubris is the AFL’s problem, it exists in such a bubble in Melbourne that it loses grasp with the reality that not everywhere is like Melbourne.

Id say that certainly plays a part.

 

[insert.pause]

Id say that certainly plays a part.

It’s no fun if you just agree.

 

[BuffaloRules]

It’s no fun if you just agree.

We need a few more AFL fans here like you see on X .. that think every game of NRL is played in front of 5k crowds , no one in its own heartland is interested anymore, and that the AFL is only a couple of years from taking over in Sydney and Brisbane ..

 

[Vlad59]

We need a few more AFL fans here like you see on X .. that think every game of NRL is played in front of 5k crowds , no one in its own heartland is interested anymore, and that the AFL is only a couple of years from taking over in Sydney and Brisbane ..

They are quite common in Tasmania but declining in number over time. Exposure to SOO and our finals series on the main FTA channel has changed that. Still this is, comparatively, a barren wasteland for the great game.

 

[BuffaloRules]

They are quite common in Tasmania but declining in number over time. Exposure to SOO and our finals series on the main FTA channel has changed that. Still this is, comparatively, a barren wasteland for the great game.

I’m glad to hear that the ignorance is declining … the world is becoming a smaller place every year, but unfortunately I think Tasmania will be the most AFL state in Australia for some decades yet …

 

[Vlad59]

I’m glad to hear that the ignorance is declining … the world is becoming a smaller place every year, but unfortunately I think Tasmania will be the most AFL state in Australia for some decades yet …

Tell me about it

 

[Canard]

Yeah you talk to Victorians up here in Brisbane and they just can't fathom why we aren't obsessed with AFL and prefer Rugby League. Bubble is a great way to describe it

Agreed, that's why I bristle at articles like the one saying the Pears could be the biggest sporting club in Australia.

That's AFL level delusion.

 

[Foreign Legion]

I’m glad to hear that the ignorance is declining … the world is becoming a smaller place every year, but unfortunately I think Tasmania will be the most AFL state in Australia for some decades yet …

Typical inbreds

 

[BuffaloRules]

Thought we might have started reading some fluff on the TV deal negotiations by now - Assume they are on by now

 

[siv]

Fox screwed Vlandys? Vlandys himself said he did the deal to protect the broadcasters.

Not unless the NRL sells the rights to Stan

 

[The_Wookie]

OFF-FIELD METRICS - Super Rugby

• Total match attendance across the competition has increased 6 per cent year-on-year, defying a reduction in total regular season games from 84 to 77.
• In Australia, Stan Sport has confirmed a 27 per cent increase in average audience across the regular season, while average free-to-air audiences on Nine grew by 13 per cent.
• In New Zealand, more than 1.83 million people have tuned in on Sky Sport and Sky Open, while digital viewership on Sky Go and Sky Sport Now grew by more than 19 per cent.
• In Fiji concurrent viewership on the Walesi App peaked at 395,436 – more than a third of the Fijian population.
• Super Rugby Pacific became the first domestic rugby competition in the world to achieve a total social media following of 2.5 million, driven by a 25 per cent increase in year-on-year follower growth.
• More than 70,000 fans played Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific, making more than 4.5 million player trades across the season.

Reference

• https://super.rugby/superrugby/news/super-rugby-pacific-reaches-new-heights-in-2025/

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

OFF-FIELD METRICS - Super Rugby

• Total match attendance across the competition has increased 6 per cent year-on-year, defying a reduction in total regular season games from 84 to 77.
• In Australia, Stan Sport has confirmed a 27 per cent increase in average audience across the regular season, while average free-to-air audiences on Nine grew by 13 per cent.
• In New Zealand, more than 1.83 million people have tuned in on Sky Sport and Sky Open, while digital viewership on Sky Go and Sky Sport Now grew by more than 19 per cent.
• In Fiji concurrent viewership on the Walesi App peaked at 395,436 – more than a third of the Fijian population.
• Super Rugby Pacific became the first domestic rugby competition in the world to achieve a total social media following of 2.5 million, driven by a 25 per cent increase in year-on-year follower growth.
• More than 70,000 fans played Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific, making more than 4.5 million player trades across the season.

Reference

• https://super.rugby/superrugby/news/super-rugby-pacific-reaches-new-heights-in-2025/

And it`s still a complete dud.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

In Australia, Stan Sport has confirmed a 27 per cent increase in average audience across the regular season, while average free-to-air audiences on Nine grew by 13 per cent

I find this very hard to believe, Nine didn`t wait one week to dump the super rugby to Gem once the new broadcast deal was announced, and dumped it from FTA altogether next year when the deal starts. Just goes to show percentage increases off a low base can be very misleading.