The Roar
The Roar

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What the NRL can learn from the NBA

30th July, 2014
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LeBron James and the Cavs are taking on the Toronto Raptors. (Photo: Wikipedia Commons)
Roar Rookie
30th July, 2014
130
1804 Reads

Having just completed my third bi-annual NBA tour of the USA, I was again blown away by the differences between the experience between an NRL and NBA game.

I’m passionate about both sports and I think rugby league has unlimited potential with the right administration. Populations aside, filling a 20,000-seat arena on a Tuesday night with screaming adoring fans is still no mean feat.

The fan experience, the spectacle and the support show why the NBA receives over a billion dollars a year in TV rights.

I have a long list but wanted to get Roarers’ thoughts on some quick fixes that might have an impact in the NRL.

1) Names on the back of jerseys
I know the Melbourne Storm have tried this and the ESL teams have this in place, but what attracts the average punter to a game and to watch on TV is the stars. Many casual fans in the NBA have no affiliation to the Heat or Cavaliers but follow LeBron James because of the famous 6/23 jersey. Ditto for Oklahoma City and Kevin Durant fans.

Heck, even the Lakers signed a corpse resembling Kobe Bryant in order to keep selling the famous 24 shirt.

Why wouldn’t it work in the NRL? I could see jerseys such as the Jarryd Hayne 1, the Bill Slater 1, the Johnathan Thurston 6 and the Paul Gallen 13 selling like hot cakes. More importantly, it would allow the league to reach new fans, fans who might not be die hard Eels supporters but love Jarryd Hayne and the excitement he brings.

Sure we might not be able to identify positions on the field as easily, but we can allocate squad numbers at the start of the year and work from there. The basic spine would be intact.

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2) Game day experience
Us diehards may hate the carrying on, but if the average NBA fan can be attracted to a game with a free t-shirt, kiss cam or half court short, why can’t that work in the NRL.

Many people visiting the US who catch an NBA game are always astounded at how much they enjoy it despite not really knowing anything about basketball.

They enjoy the atmosphere and the multitude of activities that go on around the game. Pre-game, there should be many activities around the ground to attract families.

Cheerleaders dancing shouldn’t be classified as ‘half-time entertainment’

3) Variable ticket pricing
The NBA recognises that winning teams can charge a premium, but smaller markets have to lower their prices. The differences between a Brooklyn versus Atlanta game and Clippers versus Thunder game were interesting.

For about the same seats, the cost was $80 against $340. How can anyone justify charging the same for a blockbuster local derby like the Bulldogs-Eels on a cold Friday night at ANZ as a game against the out of town Cowboys?

This also increases the value of memberships. In the NBA, fans commit to 42 games per year, fork out the fee and are not as affected by the supply and demand. They are guaranteed to be not locked out of the blockbuster.

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The Monday night game is a great example of where ticket prices can be altered and lowered, two for one deals, $5 entry, meal deals and so on.

I have many more, including interesting soft salary cap ideas and other adjustments.

How would you improve the NRL game day experience?

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