It’s been well documented recently that the NRL has been suffering from attendance problems during the opening weeks of the season. More bluntly, some good football has been played to mostly empty stadiums.
There are a few exceptions to the rule, but on the whole the attendance lists do not make for happy reading – particularly if you’re reading them from NRL headquarters.
I went out to Brookvale Oval last Sunday to watch Parramatta against Manly. I arrived towards the end of the NSW Cup fixture, and spent a sizeable chunk of time between the end of that game and the start of the NRL match twiddling my thumbs.
It gave me time to think about the game-day situation at rugby league, and that what you see sitting in a grandstand is basically the same as what you can get sitting at home on television. Therein lies the problem.
The way to get crowds out is to provide something at the ground that you don’t get at home watching on television. As it happens now, the two teams run onto the field, either with or without being serenaded by cheerleaders, and the game is kicked off. It isn’t that much different to park footy, but it should be much bigger and better – flashier, slicker, more professional.
I spend a fair amount of time in America, and have just returned from a month there. The thing that the North Americans do extraordinarily well is make you feel like you’re at the biggest game on the continent at that time. Outside of Kiss Cam and Dance Cam and whatever else-cam, there is a sense of anticipation slowly ramped up, the sense that there’s going to be a titanic struggle about to be played out in front of us.
I remember being at a Columbus v Los Angeles hockey game at the Staples Center in late 2008, at which point neither team was even close to being labelled a powerhouse. It was a match-up of mediocre teams whose seasons, even in the early months, didn’t look like reaching great heights.
Based on the way the players were welcomed onto the ice, you’d have sworn that this was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals between two star-studded teams. There were light shows, smoke machines, clever graphics on the scoreboard showing players skating through a snowy Los Angeles, and the blaring goal horn.
All combined, it was an exciting assault on the senses. It got me excited, or ‘jacked up’ as the Americans like to say, and ready for some hockey. Cheap bells and whistles, maybe, but it had the desired effect – the crowd were at fever pitch.
The singing of the national anthem was spine-tingling, too. By the time they dropped the puck, the atmosphere in the building was great.
It was the sort of pre-game atmosphere and excitement that you can’t get from watching on television, and such a spectacle is why the NHL routinely sells out arenas. To bring the crowds in, there needs to be an obvious difference between what you see and experience at the event and what you get on television.
In America, that has been achieved – in Australia, it has not. You turn on your television, see the team run out and get the game underway. That’s essentially what happened when I was at Brookvale, aside from the presence of a group of dancers to highlight the talents of those with physical disability or impairment – a nice touch.
No wonder the fans are staying away. It’s cheaper to sit at home, and there isn’t really a reason to go to a game. There just isn’t any real reason to go when you can stay home, thus avoiding things like expensive food, long queues and the occasional group of loud-mouthed fans to sour the day. The exception is the big games like finals and State of Origin, which are preceded by entertainment.
Some of what is done in America obviously isn’t possible here, but the idea is there. Along with perhaps lowering the ticket prices, throwing on something exciting before the game would bring the crowds back through the turnstiles, which in turn makes those wide-panning camera shots look more impressive on television.
I know you’re going to say that the on-field product is arguably as good as its ever been, and that we don’t need cheap entertainment beforehand. But having some form of a pre-game spectacle definitely raises the collective blood pressure of the crowd, and that makes the game-time atmosphere even better.
Last weekend, I also attended the opening game of the 2014 Major League Baseball season between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at the SCG. From the moment we walked into the ground, there was a terrific buzz in the air. The atmosphere was tremendous.
The introductions of the players, who come out of the dugout to applause, is a baseball tradition, and gives the crowd a chance to put a face to the name of all the guys who would be out on the field. Having Adam Goodes out to throw a ceremonial first pitch was great as well, and something which should be considered for sports here.
Closer to home, the AFL’s biggest regular season games are ANZAC Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon and the Dreamtime at the ‘G contest between Richmond and Essendon. Granted, both are rivalry games, but the way the league packages the game with entertainment and spectacle around it. No wonder these games draw upwards of 85,000, numbers that even NRL preliminary finals don’t get close to.
The AFL has sent various officials across to America to study how the NFL does things. They are learning about turning a game into a big show. The NFL has its own problems with attendance in markets where teams are under-performing, but their low numbers aren’t anywhere near as low as what the NRL draws.
I could write a whole different article about ticket prices – which are pretty high, especially when you take into account the additional costs involved in taking a family to the footy. But I can’t help but wonder if people wouldn’t be more interested in shelling out cash if they knew they were going to see something different to what they can get far cheaper on television.
81paling
Roar Rookie
Just wanted to quickly say that the Parramatta game day experience has everything any other organisation offers plus more, what they do at Parra is just fantastic my boys (a 1 & 3 year old) love telling everyone how they jumped on 3 or even 4 jumping castles at Parra. I love the opening flag raising nostalgia and flash back were a great player of Parramatta's past raises the flag and stirs the emotion. There are dance girls, fire flames, have your photo imposed in the team photo & the members kids packs were fantastic this year. The crowd does not sing or do Mexican wave but, I do not attend to sing if I wanted to do that I would join a choir. The reality is that Parra has got it right and I do not think you could find me a single club/event in the world that you could take a 1 & 3 year old to escorted by a wife that was raised an AFL supporter but, all of them happy in fact loving going to games that they pay little or no attention to. You can pay out on Parra all you want but, they beat any other organisation from any sporting code in Sydney & I have been to all of the major ones. You do not need to go overseas to learn how to do it right ironically you probably just have to come last in order to get the spirit of innovation that will prevent your crowds from dwindling despite poor results.
Ibit
Guest
Poor rah rah. Add 17,000 for NSW v QLD. Haha...
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
lets see, what was the FTA ratings of these Australian Stuper teams compared to the NRL? Or even Fox Sports ratings? Don't paint the full picture cos it might not fit your own exaggerations hey Sportsfreak? What's your code's TV deal worth? What's the merchandise $$$ comparisons. I could go on but it just makes you the desperate & pathetic one. Go lie elsewhere please.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Excuse me troll but don't call me a liar especially when you come on league threads with your own agendas & untruths. https://twitter.com/MediaweekAUS Scroll down and you'll see 27,000 viewers. Pathetic :)
Sportfreak
Guest
Cathar - you've lost the plot and clearly have resorted to lying and making stats up. What evidence do you have to show that the Reds - Stormers game attracted 27k viewers??? The crowd itself was 28k which might I add was bigger than every other NRL game this weekend. Stop lying mate - you're sounding desperate.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Fantastic experience, Bristol at night. Been twice. Loved every second. Was at Michigan vs. Ohio State last Thanksgiving, and there were 113,000 there. Can't imagine what 160,000 will be like!
Boomshanka
Guest
Check out the largest collage football game ever to be held in 2016 at Bristol Motor Speedway with over 160,000 expected to attend (they've already sold 40,000 and it's two years away). Even more amazing is the city of Bristol has a population of just 30,000 http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/10/14/4821780/virginia-tech-tennessee-football-bristol-motor-speedway Great NASCAR track too. Only 1/2 mile oval and the pits have to be on both front and rear straights.
boonboon
Roar Pro
Everyone keeps talking about USA Sports - as a percentage of people in the country getting an average crowd of 16000 to 8 games of NRL is equivalent to getting an average of 200,000 people to 8 games of a US sporting game- they do not get 200,000 to any US sport so the NRL must be doing something right
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
The AFL FTA tv figures appear to be in free fall in QLD & NSW. 8,000 tickets handed out to kids for the Lions 1st home game of the season (and NRL gets lambasted for Kids Junior passes). NRL TV figures on GEM in Melbourne & Perth appear to be up substantially, in WA's case, and FTA ratings have been excellent of late in QLD/NSW. Reds Super Rugby game v Stormers attracted only 27,000 TV viewers on Foxsports according to Media Week. And I don't see these working class peeps changing en masse to A League in QLD. What did front leaders the Roar attract last home game? 10,000! Again, I think league fans are there, as seen in TV ratings, merchandise sales, social app access figures. They just want our scheduling back from channel nine, outdated stadiums upgraded, and reasonable food & drink prices.
Johan
Guest
True - Cathar- all codes are affected but the NRL is taking the biggest hit. Crowds should be increasing in all codes cos the population is increasing at an enormous rate. The AFL and a league are growing but the others are not. Union will be ok because it is the preserve of the wealthy and is played in a lot more countries. League needs to get its act together fast cos it shares the same demographic as soccer. Working class peeps in NSW and Qld are switching from league to a league fast.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Timeslots are an interesting topic. In the NFL, you know your team will either play at 1.00pm or 4.15pm on Sundaay afternoon or 8.30pm on Sunday or Monday night. You don't need to chase the timeslot your team will be in this week. The NRL is all over the shop on this.
john badseed
Guest
Stadiums give nothing to the fans. Suburban stadiums offer a great day out and a game with real atmosphere. 15k to fridays GF replay at AWH stadium compared to a 20k+ sellout at Brookie speaks for itself.
john badseed
Guest
A national system exists in the States because the game has been played at a high level in every state since conception of the competition. League is played in NSW and Qld in schools and junior clubs. Elsewhere it doesn't exist. It still doesn't exist in Victoria outside some expats and Kiwis even after being handed the most gifted players of a generation. Expansion and the attack by Qlders on Rugby Leagues heartland is the petty jealousy of a second son. A second team even in Brisvegas would not double the crowd it would split the 30k between the two. Makes for poor crowd figures compared to Sydney. Sydney figures suffer when no one could be bothered going to see the rubbish from up north.
Johan
Guest
Turbo - I agree that big crowds for the NRL do happen and I have been to games last year in excess of 40000 in Sydney. I know so many peeps who claim to support a NRL team but if you ask if they attend games they say that they don't. There is no attendance culture unlike the AFL or American sports. When Dave Smith acknowledges the problem and suggests a few things including some odd things like jumping castles at games peeps turn on him. He was just thinking out loud. The image of the game has been tarnished as well. League fans are wrongly seen as all boof heads with too many tatts and not enough brains!!! Not all NRL fans are like that- just the majority!!!! The a league actually had higher attendances last season which must worry the NRL. A city of sydney's size should only have two maybe three teams and there should ideally be 20 teams across Australia and NZ. Then each Sydney team would actually have some fans at the games!!! Not possible now though so just make the best of what is there- maybe with a team in Perth and one more in Brisbane. The salary cap must increase fast as well if the NRL wants to keep players from going to Union.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
I think when a sport has to deal with the varied number of timeslots that the NRL have to deal with then they too would struggle. Coupled with a real need to improve facilities & price to attend games, people are always going to pick & choose which games to attend, and be at the mercy of the weather that can affect attendances. Look at the Storm promotion, bring a mate for free but on a Monday night, they still struggled to attract a decent crowd. I think they got 13,000 but goodness knows how many they would have got had they not had such a promotion. Other sports are also finding out odd scheduling etc can affect crowds. Even today, the Lions AFL advertised during the week 8,000 kids go free with a paying adult 'promotion'. Now this is their 1st game of the season on a Sunday arvo, so NRL clubs aren't the only ones struggling. Unfortunately for the Lions its raining today, so they'll probably take a hit at the gate.
turbodewd
Roar Guru
Johan, Souths v Bulldogs managed 51,000 in Rd4 of last year. The NRL can pull proper crowds in the right conditions. On ANZAC Day this year they have 3 games and will pull v.good crowds. But the rest of their crowds are crap coz they dont pump up each contest. And the season is too long. Fans want passion from the players and quality.
Johan
Guest
Surbanan games attract suburban size crowds - there is no shame in that. The NRL needs to get real - it is essentially a Sydney suburban game at the moment with a few other teams. Another team is needed in Brisbane for sure. Then and only then can the NRL think of competing with the major code of Rugby Union. Sad but true folks and folkettes. The salary cap is still too low- best players still going to Union.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
The pre-match warning sirens probably do more to heighten the anticipation than the music mind you!
turbodewd
Roar Guru
Foxtel doesnt cause bad crowds. Who has Foxtel anyway?! I know 3, but one of them isnt even an NRL fan.
brain
Guest
Earning ten times more than League players, HAHAHA. Jealous!