Is it just me, or are NRL management missing the easiest and oldest trick in the book?
The demand for our product, in all forms (Tickets, memberships, merchandise...) just isn't there.
There are a myriad of reasons why - too many Sydney clubs being one. However, pricing runs a close second.
We're in a conundrum at the moment - Nobody wants to go sit in an empty stadium, and nobody wants to watch a game on TV that has no atmosphere. The NRL clearly places more importance on TV ratings, than seeing people at the game, yet it's fairly awful viewing seeing in some cases 60k empty seats. And get this, the NRL just loves big grounds, which are no chance of being even a quarter full.
The solution, I hear you ask?
Tickets and Memberships should be 33.3% of current pricing. The result? More fans to the game, and more dollars in. Take into account the money spent whilst at the game.
Merchandise pricing should be as above.
Wait 5 years. The game grows. It becomes a thing people want to do on a Saturday night.
Atmosphere returns and comes through in the telecast.
Then, raise the prices - only this time, you have the demand.
Something has to give, the current state of the game is very grim, and it's fast losing people like me.
