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The NSWRU has published its television figures achieved during the 2008 Super 14 season, and they make great reading for rugby fans.
Fox Sports Super 14 ratings have increased by 19 per cent this season. More than 2.3 million viewers watched the Super 14 coverage throughout Australia, averaging 100,000 viewers for each game.
Curiously, the best-watched match was the Highlanders-Waratahs encounter in round three.
This was a day match in New Zealand and played in Australia around 3.30 on a Saturday afternoon. Without wanting to generalise (too much anyway!), this was before men went to the pub and before the favourite program of many of their wives (Big Love), which clashed with the main Australian game at 8.30.
If this theory is correct, another 70,000 or so viewers who are in pubs should be added to the average home viewing total.
I know the Reds-Waratahs match was on the pub I went to. The game had about 50 people expressly watching it in one of its room. This number would probably be bigger in larger hotels and clubs.
Jim L’Estrange puts the success of the Waratahs down as the main ingredient to the increased viewing numbers.
This is undoubtedly correct. I’d also like to suggest that the more expansive and free-flowing game played under the ELVs could have been a factor, too.
What are the views and experience of The Roar readers?