The Brisbane sporting landscape experienced a shift in 2016 when the Brisbane Roar staked a legitimate claim as Brisbane’s second most popular team.
In 2016 and for the first time in the Roar’s history they achieved the second highest aggregate attendance compared to the city’s four other major clubs – the NRL’s Broncos, the AFL’s Lions, Super Rugby’s Queensland Reds and the BBL’s Heat – totalling 205,483 people, approximately 20,000 more than third-placed Lions.
The title of Brisbane’s best attended team has been shared between the Broncos, Reds and Lions over the past 10 to 15 years, with the Broncos holding the highest aggregate attendance in Brisbane since 2006. The Roar has only ever been able to reach third highest on any given calendar year.
Significantly 2016 marked the first time the Roar recorded a higher aggregate attendance than the Lions, which was unthinkable between 2000 and 2005 when the Lions were enjoying a six-year stretch as Brisbane’s most watched team.
While it is a significant achievement for the Roar, their 2016 attendance was not significantly higher than that of previous years – their average attendance of 14,677 was only their third highest on record and their aggregate attendance was only 3,000 more than their previous record set in 2014. This means that, though they have elevated themselves to second place, there hasn’t been a major shift of Rugby Union or AFL fans abandoning Reds and Lions matches.
In fact 2016 marked a downward trend in overall professional sport attendance in Brisbane, with the combined total of the five major teams dropping below 1,000,000 for the first time since 2009, perhaps due to a reduced public appetite for attending live matches across all sports in Australia. That makes it an even more impressive result for the Roar.
The highest and lowest aggregate attendance between 2006 and 2016 for each of the five major sporting teams in Brisbane are as follows:
Brisbane Broncos
Highest: 420,379 (2010)
Lowest: 365,754 (2013)
Brisbane Lions
Highest: 329,264 (2010)
Lowest: 187,816 (2016)
Queensland Reds
Highest: 273,745 (2012)
Lowest: 106,608 (2007)
Brisbane Roar
Highest: 205,483 (2016)
Lowest: 119,390 (2010)
Brisbane Heat
Highest: 130,053 (2015)
Lowest: 61,290 (2016)
The elevation of the Roar among Brisbane’s sporting teams has been a gradual process with minimal change in attendance year to year compared to the Lions and Reds, whose average attendances can fluctuate by up to 10,000 per match from season to season depending how the team is performing.
However, given that the Lions have no clear path to success for at least another 10 years and that the Reds will never be able to build a Super Rugby dynasty due to the strength of New Zealand rugby, the Roar have a tremendous opportunity to establish themselves as Brisbane’s second most popular team for the next decade.
The main threat to the Roar for that title will likely come from the Brisbane Heat, especially if the Big Bash League expands from four to eight home matches per season to cater for the high demand for domestic Twenty20 in recent summers.
Swanny
Guest
Why don't Brisbane Heat play 12-15 games a season and see if they can maintain that average . Not a hope in hell thats why
David Hayward
Roar Pro
Agree and it is undeniable that the Roar are rising as a result!
MrFuss
Guest
Waz. It’s not that it isn’t relevant, it’s just that’s it very selective to make an argument that other metrics don’t support.
matth
Guest
As an aside I could not get a ticket to the Brisbane Bullets this year. Small stadium at the convention centre, but by the time I got into gear there were single tickets only. They played once at Boondall and I could only get back row. Basketball is still the sleeping giant. So many kids play it now. and NBA is the second highest betting sport on UBET as well.
matth
Guest
And the Heat are going to give daylight a real shake if they keep on their current trajectory, and keep McCullum and Lynn for a few years.
matth
Guest
Newsflash! Sports teams fudge their crowds!
matth
Guest
Union has really suffered from a lack of FTA coverage. This is a cautionary tale for FFA. Some free to air exposure is necessary.
matth
Guest
Is it undeniable though? Average crowds for the Roar are basically stable. It demonstrates more the fall of the Reds and Lions than anything else.
matth
Guest
The next big shake up in Brisbane may well be a second rugby league team in the south. Support for this would be very interesting.
matth
Guest
It's Broncos and then daylight, but in the distance the Brisbane Heat are on there way up. Selling out the Gabba five times in a season is pretty amazing for the youngest club on the list. their average crowd may well pass the Broncos this year.
Ian
Guest
Went back again today at lunchtime There is only Rebel Sport in the Mall. There are rows of football jerseys. Mostly Roar merchandise with mannequins dressed in orange. Then other A-League club jerseys and other comps jerseys and Socceroos merchandise. Brisbane Roar jerseys have never been sold for $10. The cheapest you will get them is $50 after the season ends and they have a sale on as the A-League is no longer on. How dare they reduce jerseys once the season ends. Your $10 shirt you think you saw is what would have been some cheap shirt they reduced. Every A-League item was full price. To be honest they wouldn't sell Brisbane Lions jerseys for $10 either. So you have mixed up what you think is a real jersey and some cheap t-shirt. That is not evidence to base your rankings on.
Lionheart
Guest
yay! good point Neil. All this nonsense about Broncos then daylight. Daylight? what code is that? The Roar don't compete with the other teams because they play in their off season. Fans do not have to choose between attending a Roar game and any other, because apart from a couple of games they don't overlap. Roar does compete with them for publicity and is losing that battle badly, but that's a whole different post.
Neil
Guest
As a die in the wool football fan from Brisbane , I do not care what position Roar is in, as long as they play good football, have good owners, because the Roar are only team in the A League.
Celtic334
Guest
The issue with the Reds is they are vying for the same market as the Broncos. I lived in Brisbane for 27years and most of my friends were Broncos supporters but also had a keen interest in the Reds. However if a Broncos game was on the same weekend they would go to Brons games, if not they would go to the Reds. If a Broncs game was on tv the same time as the Reds they would rather stay at home and watch on tv. The Lions are supported by primarily ex pat Vic, WA, and SA residence. The Heat aren't religiously followed but a night out at a game is seen as a must do over the course of the BBL season, plus the young kids just love it. The Roar have a market and people keep a keen eye on them, but it is more of a see the highlights on foxsports news or a new bulletin and think yay we won.
Celtic334
Guest
Sorry to say but as someone who grew up in Brisbane and only recently moved the order is Broncos Daylight Heat Reds Lions Roar
David Hayward
Roar Pro
I didn't say aggregate crowds were conclusive and you a wrong to say it is in no way an analysis, it is an analysis of one metric! A key metric that highlights the Roar is rising in its status amongst Brisbane's teams. This is undeniable.
David Hayward
Roar Pro
Agree, I didn't select the title of the article and the point was to highlight how much the Roar have comparatively risen in the popularity rankings of Brisbane's professional teams.
David Hayward
Roar Pro
The basis is all attendances have been calculated within the calendar. So the Roar matches for 2016 include the matches held within 2016 of the 2015-16 and 2016-17 season. Also it does not include finals matches.
Midfielder
Guest
agree they are a bred these AFLers ...
Midfielder
Guest
Steve who's fault ... no - ones ... people must think money grows on trees... You could argue if you spend more on marketing then it will lift ... the issue is to gamble on that... what do you cut if you spend funds on marketing.. Salary is fixed, stadium costs are fixed, flights and travel are essential fixed ... coaches .... I have for many years said extra revenue would solve many things people say is needed .... but its getting the extra revenue ...