Origin TV ratings: Decider sets new records (updated)

"Do you think Canadians call Canadian Football (very similar to Americ. football): “Our indigenous game”?! It seems a little pretentious,,," The Canadian Football League uses the motto "This is our league".

Lorry. If you are selling something,sometimes you use your best,most recognised product in your marketing campaign.When American football markets its game everywhere its the NFL that is marketed not College Football. There was a guy by the name of Wally Lewis and it was due to his efforts in SOO in the past,he became not only a household name in the nthn states,but a fair number of sports people in the sthn states knew of him. You do understand that in states like victoria and WA and to a far lessser extent SA,there are reasonable numbers of expats from the nthn states ,from NZ and even from the nth of England. The proof is in the pudding,that when SOO is shown in Vic,they still rack up around 300,000 viewers,and this is not isolated.Whjen the Storm gets into a grand final the numbers jump dramatically. If you don't promote your product,no one knows about it. The increase in numbers for the southern states suggest,that it is the right approach. The code is only ever going to be a niche market sport in those areas,as the administrators are fully aware.Why hide something you are proud of? As far as the AFL SOO is concerned,if the players and coaches had really been keen they could have made a go of it,and who knows having the best AFL players could well have been a vehicle to pronmote their code in the nthn states. If the Tv ratings for the SOO were dismal in the southern states ,I would agree with your point.With the Vic ratings and no NRL teams in WA and SA ATM,and the ratings they achieved I have to disagree. Don't ask me about the origins of Aussie Rules.It's like asking Pres Kim of Korea about democracy.

Unfortunately yes Pete and it's the usual insecure suspects,better known as the NRL Santa Clauss boo and hissers.Sometimes envy has a little to do with it,sometimes pure dislike.it does make for light comic relief at times. Having 3 matches with over 3m viewers each time,and Sydney getting 1m is a case for concern for some.The ones who are not concerned are the ch9 execes and the game's head honchos.The very organisations at the coal face.

You seem to be wrong alot Cattery.

Crosscoder, you have said that "SOO by its very nature ,is just about the best vehicle for the NRL code to employ"..... I dont actually think that's the case... I mean, would you be interested in watching the State of Origin in the AFL, if they revived the concept?! Because, theoretically, SOO in the AFL should be the highest pinnacle of that sport too. Personally, I think that for QLDers and NSWelshmen, SOO in AFL would be dead boring and hold no meaning whatsoever... just look at the abysmal TV ratings in QLD and NSW for AFL games which do not involve Lions or Swans... And, that is despite those non-northern state derbies being forced on the populations of QLD and NSW via numerous TV channels for the last 40 years... Personally, I am from Sydney and I like watching the Swans and the AFL Grand Final, but that's it! Similarly, why would non-QLD/NSW populations have any interest in Rugby League SOO? Just on another note, not wishing to continue the code wars here but I was wondering why on earth some Australian football commentators claim that Aussie Rules came from rugby? My mum is Irish and having watched alot of gaelic football when I was younger, it is dead obvious that there are only minor differences between the two sports (e.g. oval ball, harder tackling in Aussie Rules, high marks, different goal posts, no goalie etc.... but essentially the games are very similar). Do you think Canadians call Canadian Football (very similar to Americ. football): "Our indigenous game"?! It seems a little pretentious,,,

Cattery The SOO Tv ratings do in fact have a decent influence.That is what I am responding to you based on your post to Betamax,with accompanying figures(eg if the game brings in $170m pa). And QED is completely relevant to the TV rights negototiations and the popularity of the game outside the states. The comment in the D.T 8/7 by Steve Allen analyst of Fusion Media ,puts it in perspective when referencing the SOO Tv ratings. "The incumbent broadcaster could use the ORIGIN RATINGS to secure its network deal. On the fundamentals,the NRL should get a billion dollars.It will go fearfully close to it." The SOO is apart from being a clash between two heartland states,is also shown as a promo vehicle to non heartland states.The viewing numbers have increased,with two of the states not having an NRL team.The junior participation numbers have grown from samll bases over the years.One could suggest SOO plays some part in promoting the code,just as the grand final does. It is fair to argue that both the Tv station and the code involved want to incease their viewing numbers in all states,as all codes would.SOO by its very nature ,is just about the best vehicle for the NRL code to employ.

Crosscoder My original comments have to be viewed in the context of the two questions I put at the very start (which was my attempt to summarise some of the commentary emanating from the excellent ratings): What does it mean for other things: The TV rights negotiations? The popularity of the NRL outside of the NOrthern states? I might agree with much of what you have said, but I'm not sure that helps answer these two questions. JVGO has also gone off half-cocked, failing to pay heed to those original two questions.

No JVGO, AFL is one competition - that's a significant component of this narrative.

Congrats to the NRL for the ratings figures. But if they dont get the BIFF back into SOO its going to die a slow death. SOO has to get back to being a spectacle not just another game. In the old days it was war!!! An opportunity to bash those smutt Qeenslanders.

Are people actually trying to talk down a series that rated 10 million viewers + nationally up against the biggest show on TV for the last 3 years? Talk about desperation. Its a monster of a show, get over it.

2061 already? My how time flies. Does AFL have another level yet. Tests, origin, WC? Has GWS won a comp?

Brain you watch and you loved it!!!!!! The little voice in your head said YES!!!! Where have you been all my life RL. If only I was not brainwashed to hate league... If only the AFL had something that was more then club footy... Please God let me come back a Queenslander!!!! or if not a New South welshman!!! I feel sorry for you Brian and the rest of the people who don't grow up loving how great it is being part of SOO!!!!!!

betamax I stand corrected, I had imagined that he had tasted club success with the Broncos, but clearly I was wrong. But he definitely did say something along those lines, but it would make a lot more sense if he was, say, comparing an SOO victory with club success at the state level.

JVGO I'm not arguing anything to do with cricket finances, I'm simply making the point that support for the top tier of cricket does not translate to support for the next tier, at least it would appear that you are starting to understand the point I am making. This is a phenomenon we see in many sports in Australia - precisely why I mention it. In the case of SOO, I mention it again in the context of people claiming some sort of observable movement in support for RL generally in the Southern states, and I am simply making the rather obvious point that interest in the pinnacle of the sport (SOO) does not necessarily translate to interest in the next tier below that. This is precisely why I also mentioned the Socceroos and the A-League, where we are able to observe the exact same phenomenon. Now that is not to say that things cannot change, of course they can, but such a manifestation would need to be observed in 50 years time, not in the space of one or two years.

Some points If gallop breaks up the NRL rights into SOO, Tests and club, then Nine will have a kerniption. Ten is unlikely to bid for SOO or NRL in general - they will do a deal with Nine before the bidding to keep out... 1m for Sydney is low for SOO considering it was a decider and the marketing was in overdrive. If they werent going to watch this one they never will.. Sydney NRL coverage in the newspapers is every bit as intense as melbourne as one who gets both sets of newspapers. Fox is showing all RUWC games live so you can watch if you want. Hoyts may also show it in melbourne on 3D at movie houses.

As a non-RL fan who watched I suggest that having it on Wednesday night is a winner. I watched on Wednesday, keeping in mind there was no other sport on TV and it was a 0 degree Melbourne July night. If the game was on a Sunday I probably would have prefered any sort of sporting contest I usually follow - Football, AFL, Cricket etc. so my point is the timing of a wintry Wednesday night on a mainstream network is a good one into "immature" markets. I probably won't watch the Rugby Final which I think is this weekend, but I would have probably prefered it to the RL.

20 years ago there was not the number of channels available,nor other techological tools available. Are you suggesting SOO should not be promoted to the hilt,just as every major event for every football code is.Spend a day in Melbourne,they could leave sporting hype for dead.Brownlows! Drafts! News won't have control next year ,so who then do we blame ? Roy Masters!!

The ratings is worked on the peak and average viewership.The switching off would no doubt have come into the mix,just as the switching on for late starters or from another channel. Like I might switch on for the remaining 5 minutes of S15. The average is what counts as it is closer to the mark,as to those who watched the whole shebang.

Given the rating bonanza enjoyed by Channel 9, am I the only one cranky that it was not available live on HD? We've been spoilt by the brilliant Super 15, NRL and AFL coverage by Fox in HD but to watch the showcase mid season games of league in HD you need to wait a couple of hours. Channel 9 has a dedicated HD channel, but showed SoO in SD and The Jane Austen Book Club in HD. Fox was allowed to telecast the first week and a half of Wimbledon on HD (which looked amazing) but had to switch over to one of the free to airs for the semis and finals. Of course, these too were telecast in SD. Perhaps I'm being precious, but I'm certainly grateful that the Super 15 remains pristine. Unfortunately, 9 has the rights to the upcoming Wallabies matches. SD no doubt. For some reason, this really gets my goat.

Sydney was getting regular 1m audiences SOO 20 years ago back in the 90,s.. and were it not for near hysterical 3 week uber -hyped buildup, coundown etc etc by the usual league spruikers at news-limited and ch9...