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Attending the elimination final between the Rabbitohs and Sharks last Sunday made me think back to this 2013 article, outlining the then-new NRL CEO Dave Smith’s vision for the game-day experience, calling it “E-squared”: engagement and entertainment.
Emulating a US sports experience, the changes on the weekend were a step in the right direction.
The Sydney Live area, between the SCG and SFS, is an attempt at imitating the US tradition of ‘tailgating’, acting as a hub for fans to gather before and after games. The entertainment quarter at Moore park has potential for this.
The atmosphere created by the success-starved Sharks fans was a big factor, with chants, flags aplenty and even a trumpeter. It was also noticeable that music was blaring between breaks in play, which helped keep the enthusiasm of the crowd going, but I’m sure annoyed a few.
The impressive screens at Allianz showed statistics for the diehards and fantasy addicts, but also had penalties explained for casual fans, which is a big move forward to attract this market.
I was also excited to trial the app for ordering food and drinks from my seat – it wasn’t perfect, but helped beat the queues and is a good way to utilise the free stadium WiFi.
The success of sports in the US is that they are not reliant on the product alone, and attract people by focusing on the event and experience, which in turn creates new fans and members.
It is clear from the AFL model for crowds and memberships that families are the key in fostering the next generation of supporters. Ticket prices of $20 for adults, $15 for members and cheaper for kids, as well as the $5 coke and pie deal are examples of the potential changes to the game-day experience that the new TV deal with Channel Nine could bring.
How else would you attract families and casual supporters to attend games, Roarers?
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