NPC Gates down.. But overall interest is up

[Te Kaha]

From Stuff...

Big year forces NPC gates down

22 October 2005

By JIM KAYES

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Stadium turnstiles have been spinning at a record rate this year on the back of the successful Lions tour, but it has come at a cost.[/font]



[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]While the number of spectators at top level rugby games has gone past 1.6 million, support at grounds for the NPC's first division has fallen. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]About 500,000 will have been to an NPC first division game after tonight's final between Auckland and Otago at Eden Park. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]That's about 47,000 fewer than in 2003, when there was a similar draw but the All Blacks were away at the World Cup, and down more than 100,000 from last year. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]However, interest in the game remains high, with a 17 per cent rise in the number of people tuning into Sky TV to watch the NPC. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Two years ago, the competition attracted 128,500 viewers on Sky. That increased to 135,600 last year and 151,000 this year. The figures do not include those who watch the games at sports clubs or in bars. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]New Zealand Rugby Union deputy chief executive Steve Tew said there had been a lot of rugby to watch this year and something had to give. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"There has been talk about a drop in NPC attendances this year but we expected that given that the NPC is at the end of a big year of live rugby for New Zealand fans. Having said that, 500,000 people still went to watch their first division provincial team play which is a fantastic result." [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]NZRU figures show 765,500 people went to Super 12 games this year, while 355,000 were at the 11 British and Irish Lions games. Another 106,7000 went to the All Blacks tests against Fiji, South Africa and Australia, and the trial. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Before tonight's final 474,000 had gone to an NPC game but the interest in tonight's final should see the 500,000 mark passed. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Regardless, the Lions series has helped spectator numbers grow from 1.4 million last year to about 1.61 million this year. [/font]

Yet more proof the game is more than healthy

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

NPC is now the club comp of New Zealand and Super 14 the provincial comp . Can you imagine what the real figure would be had the All Blacks have been available from day one ?

 

[Auckland4ever]

Tew's right about there being a lot of rugby on this year. I normally look forward to the NPC more than Super 12, but just didnt follow it at all this year. I was rugby'd out a long time ago. The rugby season being so fragmented doesnt help either.

 

[ali]

Surely the rise in Pay TV ratings are in proportion to an increase in subscriptions?

 

[Te Kaha]

Surely the rise in Pay TV ratings are in proportion to an increase in subscriptions?

Not at all.. Sky's annual report had the subsrciption increase in the last year to June 05 at 6% another report had it at 8% to September... Viewing figures have increaded 17%