Rabbitohs have now secured more than $7M worth of sponsorship and corporate support
PHIL ROTHFIELD
SPORTS EDITOR-AT-LARGE
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
NOVEMBER 29, 2013 12:00AM
The South Sydney Rabbitohs will wear the first $3 million playing strip in NRL history next year after securing another lucrative new major sponsor.
Air-conditioning giants Fujitsu will join James Packer's Crown Resorts and De'Longhi on the famous jersey as a $500,000-a-year sleeve sponsor.
Riding on the back of the NRL team's success in recent years, the Rabbitohs now have more than $7 million worth of sponsorship and corporate support.
The profile of Greg Inglis, the Burgess brothers, John Sutton and Adam Reynolds has turned the once battling club into an NRL super power that will soon reveal a million dollar plus profit for 2013.
Throw in the contacts and connection of celebrity owner Russell Crowe and remarkably they are now challenging the one team one-city Brisbane Broncos for most commercial support in the game.
This is despite competing with eight other Sydney clubs in the toughest and most competitive market in the game.
Souths' commercial success comes on the back of stunning new research that reveals their incredible popularity across the country and the code.
In 2006 the Rabbitohs had under 9000 members (only 2800 with season tickets) with three major sponsors.
The team came last, was in the bottom four for TV ratings, and were struggling to pay the player and staff wages.
Fast forward seven years and the Rabbitohs were the most watched team on free to air TV in 2013 with 21.2 million cumulative viewers.
They were the second-most watched team across any code in combined FTA and PayTV, only just beaten by AFL premiers Hawthorn.
With a combined home and away game day attendance of 539,733, the Rabbitohs ranked first in the NRL, up a staggering 27% at a time when overall crowds in the game fell.
They have the biggest membership in the game at 27,392 with a target of 32,000 for 2014.
With each member contributing an average of $132, it provides members revenue alone of $4.25 million.
Little wonder the club will make a million-dollar plus profit this year, an amazing result considering they have no Leagues club or poker machine support.
Rivals like the Bulldogs get Leagues Club support of up to $6 million a year.
It's ironic that the new two-year sponsorship deal coincides with a spate of bad publicity over player behaviour this week.
"We may have a hiccup from time to time with player behaviour but overall the boys understand the importance of the image with sponsors and our members," said CEO Shane Richardson.
"We don't have leagues club money and I can assure you our owners won't be putting in any more money.
"We now have a relationship with 220 companies from local businesses to major corporations and they, along with our members, are our lifeblood."
Richardson revealed part of the decision to play interstate games each year in Perth and Cairns was to give sponsors a more national feel.
Fujitsu's national marketing manager Marc Cheah said his company saw enormous appeal in the club.
"The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an iconic club and has had an exceptional few years rebuilding its position in the NRL," he said.
"Like us here at Fujitsu, South Sydney are a performance driven club, which is evident in the results not only on the field, but off the field as well.
"With enviable membership numbers, media ratings, and followers on social media. The club is truly a powerhouse of Australian sport."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...orporate-support/story-fni3gki8-1226770811760
onwards and upwards
