This is the latest instalment in a series of articles keeping tabs on club football ratings and attendances across the four codes.
All TV ratings are for Fox Sports only.
March saw the start of the NRL season, and all four rounds have absolutely dominated the TV ratings.
Manly versus the Storm from the second round achieved the highest rating, also representing the only TV rating during March to exceed 300,000.
The NRL filled the top 19 spots in TV ratings, an incredible achievement when you consider that a total of 20 games were telecast.
20th spot was taken by St Kilda versus Essendon, the last round of the pre-season games before the AFL kicks off in the first week of April (delayed by one week because of the Cricket World Cup).
Super Rugby took 21st spot, their highest rating game being between the Reds and Waratahs. This rating of 109,000 was the only Super Rugby game to make the list.
The A-League took 22nd spot, their highest rating game being between Adelaide United and the Victory. This rating of 107,000 was the only A-League game to make the list.
The NRL had the two highest attendances, with the top being the Queensland derby between the Broncos and Cowboys (40,047).
Super Rugby had the next two biggest attendances, both around the 27,000 mark, with the Waratahs versus Brumbies just shading the Reds versus Waratahs match.
Once again it was the Melbourne Victory flying the flag for the A-League. The Victory hosted the A-League’s three most attended games, finishing sixth, seventh and twelfth, with crowds of 22,525, 22,096 and 18,205.
The highest attendance for the AFL was the pre-season derby between Fremantle and the Eagles (16,032). Expect higher attendances next month with the AFL starting 2015 home-and-away season proper.
TV ratings (in ‘000s)
1. Manly versus Melbourne Storm, 305
2. Gold Coast Titans versus Wests Tigers, 266
3. North Queensland versus Melbourne Storm, 265
4. Sydney Roosters versus Penrith, 264
5. Melbourne Storm versus Cronulla, 257
6. North Queensland versus Newcastle Knights, 250
7. North Queensland versus Sydney Roosters, 241
8. St George Illawarra versus Melbourne Storm, 232
9. St George Illawarra versus Manly, 215
10. Wests Tigers versus St George Illawarra, 210
11. Canberra Raiders versus St George Illawarra, 202
12. Gold Coast Titans versus Newcastle Knights, 180
13. Newcastle Knights versus New Zealand Warriors, 177
14. Cronulla Sharks versus Canberra Raiders, 173
15. Cronulla Sharks versus Gold Coast Titans, 165
16. Newcastle Knights versus Penrith, 150
17. New Zealand Warriors versus Parramatta, 147
18. Penrith versus Gold Coast Titans, 139
19. Canberra Raiders versus New Zealand Warriors, 133
20. St Kilda versus Essendon (pre-season game), 117
21. Queensland Reds versus NSW Waratahs, 109
22. Adelaide United versus Melbourne Victory, 107
23. Collingwood versus Carlton (pre-season game), 106
24. Geelong versus Carlton (pre-season game) , 106
25. Western Bulldogs versus Collingwood (pre-season game), 94
26. Gold Coast Suns versus Geelong (pre-season game). 94
27. West Coast Eagles versus Fremantle (pre-season game), 91
28. Port Adelaide versus Adelaide Crows (pre-season game), 87
29. GWS versus Essendon (pre-season game) , 86
Attendances
1. Brisbane Broncos versus North Queensland, 40,047
2. Canterbury-Bankstown versus Parramatta, 28,876
3. NSW Waratahs versus ACT Brumbies, 27,243
4. Queensland Reds versus NSW Waratahs, 27,199
5. South Sydney versus Wests Tigers, 23,211
6. Melbourne Victory versus Perth Glory, 22,525
7. Melbourne Victory versus Wellington Phoenix, 22,096
8. Wests Tigers versus Canterbury-Bankstown, 20,121
9. Newcastle Knights versus Penrith, 20,114
10. Penrith versus Canterbury-Bankstown, 18,814
11. Parramatta versus Manly, 18,718
12. Melbourne Victory versus Central Coast Mariners, 18,205
13. North Queensland versus Sydney Roosters, 17,123
14. NSW Waratahs versus Auckland Blues, 16,342
15. Newcastle Knights versus New Zealand Warriors, 16,146
16. Adelaide United versus Melbourne Victory, 16,077
17. Fremantle versus West Coast Eagles (pre-season game), 16,032
18. Parramatta versus South Sydney, 15,562
19. New Zealand Warriors versus Brisbane Broncos, 14,670
20. Gold Coast Titans versus Wests Tigers, 14,319
21. New Zealand Warriors versus Parramatta, 14,112
22. Adelaide Crows versus Port Adelaide (pre-season game), 13,971
23. Sydney FC versus Brisbane Roar, 13,818
24. Melbourne Storm versus Cronulla-Sutherland, 13,015
25. North Queensland versus Newcastle Knights, 13,006
26. Brisbane Roar versus West Sydney Wanderers, 12,095
27. St George Illawarra versus Manly, 12,087
Bruce
Guest
I don't know why you persevere with this rubbish MF. If you don't include FTA it is a pointless useless exercise.
Bondy
Guest
You should take that to the rest of the world ..
fiddlesticks
Guest
AR the roosters crowd dropped because they didnt host ANZAC day that year
Gyfox
Guest
AFL season has started.........83,493 at the 'G tonight
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Ditto Brisbane/QLD
kirk
Guest
and how many people in sydney will be watching that swans game on TV? probably 70k if lucky.. a fraction of what the NRL would get in sydney. Considering the amount of money and promotion the AFL does in Sydney, the AFL should be very concerned so I would stop gloating.
jamesb
Guest
Agree, Packer got the rights for a song.
Johnnyball
Guest
Jamessb, do you remember when Arthurson was constantly underselling the League to Packer? Channel 9 was getting away with blue murder, Packer offered a price and that was that
bilbo
Guest
"If I was an NRL fan I would be very concerned that attendances have remained stagnant for 12 years – as several posts above have boasted, as if that’s okay. In fact A-league attendances in Sydney have increased, but NRL remain the same". Both Sydney and Wsw crowds are down and the A league is also down on last year
Epiquin
Roar Guru
The McIntyre system was given the flick years ago. We now use the same finals system as the AFL. If you think fans are disenchanted now, wait until we have a comp where team 8 goes through and team 1 is knocked out in the first week of finals. Ludicrous.
AR
Guest
People have suggested 400,000 could attend the AFL Round 1 this year. I think that's optimistic. But I certainly think 350,000 is on the cards.
turbodewd
Guest
Von u cant add the finals to the equation as that muddies the waters a lot. yovue got to look at the regular season totals only. But at the same time...why do our finals hardly ever get a sellout? Ill tell you why - they stupid McIntyre system! If the matches were sudden death u would get a sellout.
marco
Guest
Gee Beny, Look before you leap. AFL season begins tonight.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
Very well said VN. Obviously the NRL wants to see crowds grow, and there are plenty of poor crowds going around, but the sky is not falling in and there is no evidence to suggest that fans are turning off the game en-mass due to complete and utter dissatisfaction. "Popularity is liquid, not conrete. You don’t just turn off the sport or anything. Even when you do you can turn back on." I am a prime example of this. I was about 12 and an absolute die-hard when Norths got the boot. Afterwards I became completely disenchanted. I tried to support other teams but it wasn't the same. I started going to Waratahs games and, being a teenager, hanging out with my friends instead of paying attention to footy. But ultimately, I came back. When Souths were readmitted, I started following them as a sort of second team, due to the fact that they'd also been kicked out, but stuck it to the man. They also had a good relationship with the Bears. Over time I started following them more and more and can now say I am a paid member for the first time in my life.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
I'd agree with that. Also Monday night'shave to be more strategic in terms of ground used etc.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
I didn't say it wasn't growing. I said it's growth is decreasing.
jamesb
Guest
Epiquin In the next TV deal, they can keep Monday nights except during the six-eight week origin period. Having a Monday night game followed by origin a couple of days later doesn't make sense.
jamesb
Guest
Beny, the AFL season hasn't started yet.
Gyfox
Guest
Not sure of your point, Benny......the AFL season has not started yet! 350,000+ is expected for the AFL opening round this w/e. Makes NRL & A-league look small-fry. With Essendon being allowed to field a proper team on Saty, expect to see Swans vs Bombers at Homebush beat NRL crowds there to date. Giving lack of capacity as a reason for low NRL crowds is just an excuse. No NRL game at Homebush has attracted 30,000 this year - in an 80,000 stadium! It's the product & game day experience that attracts people. Or not, in the case of NRL. If I was an NRL fan I would be very concerned that attendances have remained stagnant for 12 years - as several posts above have boasted, as if that's okay. In fact A-league attendances in Sydney have increased, but NRL remain the same. And this year the national average is already down to 16,000.
turbodewd
Guest
Epi, sorry mate, Sydney is growing, where are you getting your figures from?