- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Deciphering the ratings for the NRL and AFL grand finals is a delicate and tiring process that ultimately leads to multiple conclusions. Grand final weekend is a time when the AFL and NRL properly go head-to-head and their popularity can be tested.
And judging from the conflicting media coverage, both sports have emerged as winners, of sports
But now for the facts:
On Saturday the AFL grand final received 2.595 million metropolitan viewers overall, with it picking up 258,000 in Sydney, 1,367,000 in Melbourne, 308,000 in Brisbane, 297,000 in Adelaide and 365,000 in Perth.
On Sunday the NRL grand final receivied 2.027 million metropolitan viewers overall, with it claiming 1.021 million in Sydney, 347,000 in Melbourne, 524,000 in Brisbane, 48,000 in Adelaide and 87,000 in Perth.
So on face-value in the the metro battle, the AFL won.
Then you add in the regional viewers – the AFL received 929,362 viewers, while the NRL claimed 1.15 million viewers. So on the regional front, the NRL won.
Then you further add in overseas figures. In the AFL’s wonderful press release there is a funny boast about the 212 territories around the world the grand final was shown in. From sub-Saharan Africa to Afghanistan, Lithuania, Oman and many more countries, were treated to the glory of Aussie Rules.
I am sure that the Afghans and the Taiwanese were very pumped about the match-up of the Cats and the Pies. I can remember watching the 2005 grand final in a dingy bar in Prague in the early hours of a Saturday morning.
The place was pumping, but sadly not with any Czechs but just with West Coast and Swans fans.
The NRL is claiming that 692,000 viewers in New Zealand watched the Warriors-Manly clash, with 177,000 watching delayed on Prime and 515,000 watching on pay TV across the pond. A good result considering the timeslots clashed with the All Blacks-Canada match.
So in the overseas battle, in actual ratings, the NRL is a clear winner.
But here’s the rub. Media buyers, the people who control advertising budgets, care most about the metro figures. So the AFL trouncing the NRL in metro audiences is a big deal.
However its not all bad news for the NRL. Fact is, Warriors-Manly was always going to struggle to score high ratings, compared with say 2010’s Roosters-St George. And with giants like Collingwood and Geelong clashing in a decider, this was always going to appeal to the AFL heartland. But the NRL did pretty well in Melbourne, out-rating the AFL’s audiences in Sydney and Brisbane.
What this shows is that there is audience for league in Melbourne, and the NRL needs to keep growing it. It also shows that the NRL needs teams in Adelaide and Perth, most probably Perth first, as poor WA ratings holds down its national figure.
It also shows that the NRL needs another team in New Zealand, and fast. With league in New Zealand growing at a fast rate, and with all three grades for the Warriors reaching the grand final, the time is right. A Wellington NRL side is a must.
So overall, what does all this mean? I think the AFL has won the fights on points, but the NRL is promising, has potential and has landed some damaging blows on its own. What happens next time round is up to the next moves of both sporting bodies.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.