The A-League has set a new all-time season attendance record, as well as scoring its highest average attendance since 2007-2008, off the back of the entrance of the Western Sydney Wanderers and the marvelous marquee troika.
According to figures released by Football Federation Australia today, in the 2012-2013 season attendances shot up 18%, to a season total of 1.666 million, while the average regular season crowd number of 12,388 has only been beaten in the 2006-2007 (12,911) and 2007-2008 (14,610) seasons.
TV audiences have also increased – to close to 80,000 viewers per game, also an all-time record, while the cumulative TV audience passed 10 million for the first time.
These are good signs for the fledgling competition, particularly after the up and down experience it has endured over its nine-year history.
The increases have to be put down to the arrival of the Wanderers and the shot in the arm provided by Alessandro Del Piero, Emile Heskey and Shinji Ono.
Apart from energising a long marginalized football region, the Wanderers have been Australian sport’s cinderella story over the past 8-12 months.
Before the eventual flowing football and premiership win, the fanatical support has been staggering.
The Wanderers even received a crowd of nearly 4000 to a pre-season trial against lowly Nepean FC back in July 2012.
It has grown and grown from there, with a packed and pumping Parramatta Stadium every week a sight to behold.
The wider impact of Del Piero, Heskey and Ono cannot be underestimated.
Apart from their performances on the field, which have been stellar and attracted bigger crowds and many of those who had never been to A-League game before, the trio generated talkability, merchandise sales, increased media attention and even global interest. These three stars have helped put the A-League on the world map, as well as the local one, and it couldn’t haven’t happened at a more critical time.
According to these figures– Del Piero has helped boost Sydney FC’s average crowd attendance by nearly 7000, up to 18,633, the highest average the Sky Blues have ever had.
Heskey, who has re-signed for the 2013/24 A-League season, added another 1200 people for the Jets, pushing them to 13,389, also the highest the club has ever had.
But the injection provided by the marquees was not just felt by the clubs fielding them, but by their opponents and at stadiums across the country.
Adelaide United’s average crowd this season compared with 2011-2012 went up 1000, the Mariners were up 400 and Melbourne Victory 4000. Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory also had slight increases, but average attendances were just down in Wellington and for the Heart.
These last two clubs are proof that while the A-League is on a high, there is still much work to be done.
Financial stability for all the clubs remains a huge issue. Most lose millions every year. The Mariners teeter on survival every 12 months. The Wanderers are owned by FFA, which is a conflict of interest.
FFA needs to continue to partner with the A-League clubs to ensure the competition can become profitable so the clubs can start to break even, and eventually, be profitable.
The rise in crowds and interest must be built up, not neglected like after the first three years of the A-League, so that the competition continues to grow and prosper.
The FFA is doing a good job with its digital channels and with engagement through platforms such as Twitter. This must continue.
The deal to have a live Friday night game every round on SBS, as well as delayed finals and Socceroo matches, is another massive important step forward.
While ratings on Fox Sports have grown this season, they are still dwarfed by the NRL and AFL. For example, last weekend’s pay TV ratings show that football still has a long way to go. According to these numbers – the only football game to score in the top ten sporting broadcasts of the week was the Socceroos vs Oman match, which received 187,000 viewers.
This was beaten by five NRL games and three AFL matches, with no A-League game being watched by more than 170,000 people. The top rating sport broadcast of the week was the Sharks vs the Dragons with 343,000 viewers.
Live free-to-air coverage is completely vital for the A-League’s growth.
Pay TV reaches a limited audience and without a sound free-to-air component, there is a glass ceiling. You only need to look at rugby union to see that.
Still, season 2012-2013 has been one of success and celebration, and those at FFA headquarters can afford a smile today.
Recent figures by IBISWorld – confirm that football in this country is on the up.
The A-League is currently ahead of rugby union in terms of the amount of revenue in generates (including ticket sales, sponsorships, TV rights and merchandise), $95.2 million compared with $70.1 million, but the world game is still behind Cricket Australia and Tennis Australia.
Critically though, comparing figures from 1995-96 to 2011-12, football is growing. It is now third highest in terms of unique spectators, behind Aussie Rules and Rugby League, but ahead of cricket, rugby union and tennis.
The signs are promising. Let the good times roll.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
mahony
Guest
Spot on.
West
Roar Pro
It already is Tigranes
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@The Wookie Look, I don't care if the AFL wants to fudge the numbers because they know their fans are simple folk, who don't have the capacity to dig beneath the figures. Like little kids with their hand in the cookie jar, AFL were caught outright lying about participation numbers by a council in Sydney. This report states - I will cut & paste the section (page 14): "1. Western Sydney – The Reality versus Perception Gap The reality is that junior club maturity and participation numbers appear to have stalled. There are 6% less junior/youth players in 2012 than in 2009. The perception, however, is that the game is growing well. This perception is supported by masking low junior club numbers with Auskick numbers (Club, School and Community Auskick) and school program numbers." --- Remember this was a report commissioned by the AFL, so the author of the report is being paid by the AFL and has no financial reason to lie about his findings and conclusions.
The TMF
Guest
Guys i have watched all codes since i was young. AFL less so as not many people to talk about it in sydney back in the late 80's and eary 90's when was at school but since then we all meet more people from other cities. I played Soccer when i was kid for about 12 years, went to a rugby college, and grew up in a family that was deeply involved in league having a playing for grandfather play for Souths and an uncle play for Easts, Dad refereeing juniors and Grandfather running easts juniors. I spent my youth going to club league games, club rugby games and internatonal soccer games. My experience in the codes is pretty diverse and I enjoy them all. Up until the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Soccer held the attention span of the Australian sporting publc for the two or three weeks that we had the playoffs against Argentina, Iran and Uraguay twice.Then it would disappear for 4 years.That is the sad naked truth. Rugby on the other hand has had our attention snce the 1991 world cup and the rise of the bledisloe cup, then the re-entry of South Africa. A second world cup win in 1999, Lions tour in 2001, hosting in RWC 2003, super rugby growing and then having the RWC 2011 so close that we could hop over the ditch. With the second trip to the FIFA WC and the growth of the A-League, soccer has definatey carved its spot in our calendar. It competes well against cricket in summer, and as gone nuts this year. The truth is from my view as a supporteer of both Rugby and Soccer, Rugby is still a decent amount bigger. It has been our national football team for longer in regards to success ( and lets face it for the part-time natonal fans this is what matters), it provides more competitive games a year with the bledisloe/tri nations/Rugby Championship, another team touring in our winter, the spring tour of europe each year. All these games are competitive. Soccer we have WC qualifiers against what we expect to be minnows (although we are seeing that we have dropped down a bit since the golden generation) of asia and then a couple against say a japan or korea. The rest are frendlies. We never used to treat them as such, i remember going to upton park to see the socceroos spank England in 2003 but these days they are squad practice games for the coach to tinker and try things out. We do't seem to care about te result as much anymore. We just don't get as many fully competitive games as we do in Rugby. I am fully aware that more Aussies play soccer and follow other leagues like the ELP and Serie A than rugby, but that doesn't really reflect our support of the game in Australia
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Actually the report in question concludes - and I quote - "Australian football in the Greater Sydney Region is reasonably healthy, with all stakeholders diligently addressing their operational issues." In real terms the report found - and I quote again - " growth of senior numbers halving (from 8% to 4%), U18s growth dropping from 12% to 4% and significantly more 100 point victories in 2012 in U18 Division 1 and Premier Divisions". So while the growth has slowed the numbers arent exactly stagnant. This also needs to account for the promtion of two senior sides to the NEAFL and the loss of their players from the AFL Sydney comp. It is of course a concern that the number of blowouts has increased, but the report doesnt speculate on team quality.
Football Nation
Guest
Sadly the ABS des not even list AFL in it participation sports survey ( football number one)as the numbers are to low ERASS methodology not considered good enough for them....
Football Nation
Guest
Your right you never hear of a football journalist writing about AFL or NRL... Shocking double standard...billions in 7 & 9 invested in their codes ...hence the recent disgraceful attacks on Football...But we shall overcome!!
Redb
Roar Guru
Not as enjoyable as seeing the soccerinas whip themselves into a frenzy over yet another alleged AFL sleight. :) Same to you Brick.
Kasey
Guest
I don't see why redb just cant admit that he got a little bit excited when he though football was going to be embroiled in a betting scandal? Or that the game was treated unfairly by some sections of the media in a hurry to deflect attention away from the ACC scandal plaguing Australia's most popular winter sports?
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Good response,you have a nice weekend.
Kasey
Guest
Amazing that such a profitable organisation still asks for handouts from the feds isn't it?
Redb
Roar Guru
You're understandably defensive Brick.
Redb
Roar Guru
See above. You still don't have a clue. Your whole premise was TV audience by confining to FTA you conveniently leave out Foxtel. Nuff said.
Redb
Roar Guru
The AFL is a not for profit organisation. Most of the money is ploughed back into the clubs. Nice try.
Redb
Roar Guru
Thankful for that.
Australian Rules
Guest
...looks like someone doesn't understand basic economic terms like "profit". Back to school kiddo.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
I don't need to trawl back throught the roar archives to find a comment.YOU posted the link when it was the last thing you needed to worry about,you basically just admitted you did it to shove it up the "some in soccer who thought they had escaped the darkest day"..Spin it how you like your intentions were as clear as day.Im not deflecting anything i just admitted i shouldn't have jumped to conclusions,your struggling to admit you got taken for one by the media,and probably finding it even harder to admit you wanted the betting scandal to have some substance to it.
Redb
Roar Guru
Brick, Find the comment I made. I merely passed on the link as some in soccer thought they had escaped the darkest day. All the media reported it, i did not write the article nor an AFL journo write the article to smear soccer. Unlike Andy Harper! It's just not a valid comparison, but deflect away, you're very good at it.
Tigranes
Guest
Bondy with those sort of figures, the HAL could end up being bigger than the Superbowl.
Australian Rules
Guest
brilliant response. In my highschool I was taught valuable tidbits such as Paris having a population of 2M people and Adelaide being larger than all but 9 cities in the US. It's positioned me well in life.