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.
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.
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?
Dan
Guest
Biggest way NRL can follow the NBA is through administration and professionalism. NBA players get fined if they are heard using foul language. If the NRL wants to be seen as a professional sport - these are small measures that can make it look a lot better.
bill kete
Guest
Can't believe you even make a comparison, although I understand your effort. The market has changed obviously, becoming a little more sophisticated and bored by the game. It's the game that is at fault and trying to jazz it up is not going to help. League was created to be better than the stodgy style of the day, the plodding rugby union heavily dependent on forward play and its autocratic administration. The athletes have become superior, grander today, but the heavy bump and barge style these day's resembling the old day's will only satisfy that rigid head space, the market you've lost has found something more stimulating to spend their money.
The Bush
Roar Guru
This might sound crazy, but in Brisbane, people attend... Only Sydney people seem to need lasers, free shirts, jumping castles and other non-sport related things to attend...
Slane
Guest
I have a Shawn Kemp supersonics Jersey that I love to bust out in summer. It's a good conversation starter in the US too.
Scrubbit
Guest
I personally support the broncos but there's nothing of like more than that dark knight rises ADAM WEST 1 jersey.
Scrubbit
Guest
Yeah I got some of that when I got his heat 6 jersey. Although usually I just say that unlike them I've actually been to an NBA game and know a thing or two about the players. Wouldn't mind a Dante Exum 11(I believe?) but might wait to see how he goes in the NBA. An Australian high school league probably isn't the best measuring stick for basketball talent.
Peeeko
Guest
If your aim was to come and be a nuisance on this thread, congrats you have succeeded
Jay C
Guest
I have my own identity. I don't need to give money away for nothing. I would much rather (and do) give money to local league teams than to big corporations. I love my team but I support them by buying merchandise, following them online and participating in forums such as this. You don't need to pay a fee to belong to the community. If I lived in Brisbane I would have a season membership but living in Cairns there is absolutely no value to me. Maybe if my team was the knights or tigers or sharks or one of the other terrible teams I could see value in it because they probably won't exist for very much longer. But at the moment it reminds me too much of tithing and I won't be a part of it.
Mark Bonnichsen
Guest
Obviously Glenn its not working. People aren't attending games and it has changed in 30 years. We can just keep doing the same stuff over and over or we can try and BBQ and raffle for fund raisers http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/summary.html Got any ideas or just complaints?
Mark Bonnichsen
Guest
Well I guess you can just sit next to the 1000s of empty seats and prefer that for atmosphere
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Flick, if you go back to the beginning of this thread, there was simply no name calling no denigrating your sport until the usual AFL suspects come launching in once again. I'm going to ask the moderators to get rid of you from these league threads as you offer no debate only bitterness & trolling. You do no favours for your sport. Most here don't denigrate AFL threads. You actually trash people's articles with all this rubbish and have the hide to say we are in fear & jealous. So hopefully I can say bye bye to you soon. But I know you are one of those AFL posters with multiple names. But bullies should not be allowed to win in our society. You are a dinosaur.
The Link
Guest
Flick - no they don't. If you think RL had a inferiority complex about RU for the last 100 years in Australia you have zero understanding of sport in NSW, QLD and the ACT.
Mark Bonnichsen
Guest
All the arenas seat around 20,000 but there are 82 games in the regular season
Mark Bonnichsen
Guest
I think it could work well. It does disadvantage a team trying to sign Folau back for example. Poorer clubs reap the benefits of the richer clubs overspending and very often its not necessarily the ones who spend the most who win see Nets, Brooklyn Manly could go over the cap tio re-sign DCE and outbid everyone else but then can't really fill their squad with players from other teams I think it rewards player development
Peeeko
Guest
4.5k?
Jay C
Guest
But we get that anyway. Thurston is already arketed at 6, or 7. Allocating at the beginning of the year is just weird. Who does that. Certianly not the NBA.
Mark Bonnichsen
Guest
This is attitude that kills league. Membership is so much more than the cheap benefit package, it's about community and feeling like you are really part of the club, I really feel like once people sign up for membership they will understand and renew
Mark Bonnichsen
Guest
Squads will be allocated according to the traditional numbering system. JT starts the year at 6 etc. But if michael morgan plays five eighth whilst JT is out he should just play in his 1 or if ray thompson comes up he plays in 14. Majority of the squad even tho 35 players will be in their normal numbers. I disagree that having the option of putting ur favourite player name on the back is the same, by selling and marketing a jersey/team by its marquee or star player it emphasises the stars more
Jay C
Guest
Can we all please just agree not to acknowledge AFL supporters when they harp on in League articles. It is soooo boring and by engaging you are just playing into their hands. Lets just make a pact to not reply at all to anyone who comes in and starts sprouting this nonsense. Please
Flick
Roar Rookie
One article is from 2002 and the other is about something 70 years ago. There is an abolute plethora of fear mongering RL articles within the last 5 years, would be 50 or so fear articles from RL journos. They still froth at the mouth when you mention GWS.