The NSW government’s decision to invest over two billion taxpayer dollars into stadium redevelopment was met with a tidal wave of criticism.
Online petitions were launched, social media went into a frenzy, and countless articles were dedicated to sabotaging this suspect stadium strategy. And that was just Peter FitzSimons.
After months of due diligence and public forums, the Berejiklian government eventually backed down from their original plan in favour of a more modest approach. Instead of knocking down and rebuilding ANZ Stadium, it was announced last week that the Olympic centrepiece will instead receive a fresh lick of paint, saving the public coffers around a half a billion dollars.
Instead of taking the Daily Telegraph’s approach and bagging Todd Greenberg for his involvement – or lack thereof – in this stadium saga, I thought I’d take a more positive position and give the NRL some free advice.
If they really want to fill seats, here are five things that rugby league needs to do.
Improve the cost and quality of concessions
The selection, quality and cost of stadium concessions is unacceptable across most Australian rugby league venues. It’s been that way for years. Like
an airport food court, stadiums seem to operate outside the basic rules of society. Fancy a meat pie? That’ll be $6. Maybe you’d prefer a burger? $12 please. How about a luke-warm beer to wash away that awful taste? That’s another $9.
This might seem like a trivial nit to pick, but it actually has an enormous impact on a person’s willingness to attend a game. A recent report by Andrew Guerra from the United States investigating the decline in college sport attendance uncovered that, for 28 per cent of fans, concessions and stadium food were the most enjoyable aspect of watching live sport.
Conversely, the two top reasons for people not wanting to attend a game were cost (36%) and having to wait in long lines (33%) – both of which are central to the Sydney stadium experience. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Take the Atlanta Falcons for example. With the paint still drying on his shiny, new $1.5 billion stadium, team owner Arthur Blank made a calculated decision to offer the NFL’s lowest concession prices – which included $2 hot dogs, $3 nachos, and $5 beers. He figured that any loss in the mark-up from food and beverages sales would be recouped through increased volume, with fans staying longer and eating more.
He was right. In the stadium’s first year of operation, attendance was up by approximately 6000 people per home game. During those games, fans spent an average of 16 per cent more on concessions, which resulted in a 53 per cent jump in overall food and beverage sales. And thanks to the wide variety of inexpensive options, Atlanta supporters recorded the highest satisfaction rating in the league.
Judging by the initial reviews from the new Optus Stadium in Perth, this model is yet to reach Australian shores. But the NRL would be foolish to ignore it.
With three new or refurbished stadiums set to open across Sydney over the next decade, the NRL have a rare opportunity to break the Australian sporting mould and win back some hearts and minds through their stomachs.
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Getting on social
Social media is no longer just the domain of the young and unemployed. These days, people of all ages are connecting and interacting via a multitude of online platforms. I was shocked when I learnt just how much time my very own mother spends on Facebook, and how savvy she is at using the technology (hint – never ‘friend’ your Mum on Facebook).
Sport is one of the most heavily consumed online commodities, and rugby league is no exception. Whether it’s websites like The Roar, the digital arm of publishing houses like News Limited, fan sites, supporter groups or even just content generated by the players themselves, social media is flooded with NRL information on a daily basis. But the problem is, very little of it is being generated by those running the game.
Why is social media so important to increasing game day attendance? In Guerra’s report, it was found that of students who followed their team on Facebook, 72 per cent of them attended three or more home games. Conversely, of those who didn’t follow their team on Facebook, that number dropped to just 44 per cent. That trend held true for other social media platforms, with supporters who engaged with their team on Twitter (61%), Snapchat (47%) and Instagram (48%) more likely to attend three or more home games than those who didn’t.
And it makes sense. The more engaged you are with a brand, be it a type of beer, a fast food chain or a football team, the more likely you are to consume it. Companies like Coca-Cola and McDonalds spend billions of dollars each year on innovative marketing campaigns all in an attempt to engage with you, the consumer.
The betting agencies got wind of this idea of engaging with the rugby league public via social media a few years ago. They realised that simply publishing odds and markets wasn’t enough to generate repeat business and create loyalty to their brand. So they fully embraced social media and transformed their digital footprint from that of a dull, information-based experience to something that resembled more of fan site.
All of a sudden SportsBet were publishing rugby league memes on Facebook, Ladbrokes were posting funny videos on Twitter, and the TAB had fans singing Bon Jovi covers to retired footy stars. Betting agencies went from a faceless, corporate money-pit to just one of the boys. And it didn’t happen by accident.
It’s not too late for the NRL to jump on this social media bandwagon and get a piece of the action, but they need to start delivering content that people actually want to engage with. A browse of the NRL’s official website comes with more vanilla per serve than a tub of Ben and Jerry’s. People view it as an overly filtered, heavily regulated mouthpiece for the game, and as such it has little credibility among supporters.
Instead, the NRL need to take a look at what their fans are responding to on social media, and start creating content that caters to their tastes. An engaged fan is a happy fan, and a happy fan is more likely to part with some of their hard earned to go along and support their team.
(Classic stuff, guys.)
Segment and target your audience
The nature of the NRL schedule means that certain fixtures are going to suit some people more than others. Thursday evening games are never going to be family-friendly; just like a 6pm Friday night kick-off is never going to be convenient for your average Dolly Parton.
So instead of lamenting the rigidity of the schedule, the NRL should use it to their advantage by targeting different sections of their audience based on the timing of each game.
A 7:30pm kick-off is the perfect opportunity to target the 20-something market. These are the supporters who are likely to have a few drinks before the game and then kick on after the final whistle. So why not create an environment where they can experience all of this without ever leaving the stadium?
This could be as simple as putting on cheap drinks, free WiFi and live music in the hours preceding the game. Local craft breweries could take it in turns providing the beer, pop-up gin and whisky bars could be added to cater to the more discerning palates, and a fried chicken food truck could be parked out the front to keep everybody happy. Throw in a couple of big screens showing the earlier game, and this already sounds like a better way to spend an afternoon than sinking schooners at the local.
Once the game has finished, the festivities could continue with local bands playing on the field right after the conclusion of play. The young people of Sydney are forever moaning about the closure of live music venues throughout the city, so this would be an ideal solution.
In the same vein, Saturday and Sunday afternoon fixtures should be more family-friendly than The Wiggles on Ice (the frozen kind that is). With cost being the main limiting factor in attracting families, ticket prices to these games should be heavily discounted, and people should be able to bring an esky of their own food and non-alcoholic drinks.
In terms of pre and post-game entertainment for the kids, the NRL really need to lift their game. If I wanted jumping castles and face painting, I’d just go to Bunnings, where at least I’d get something decent to eat.
On-field coaching clinics and skills competitions are a must, and they should be run by current (injured) and former NRL players. Kids of all ages should be passing balls to Danny Buderus, practicing their side-step with Benji Marshall, and fielding grubbers from Ruan Sims. If this sort of entertainment was on offer at every home game, good luck keeping your kids at home on the couch.
The fact is that the NRL and its clubs need to stop viewing fixtures as just games of football, and start viewing them as entertainment opportunities. They should be doing whatever it takes to get fans through the gates early, and keep them there well after the final whistle has blown.
Reward Loyalty
Loyalty cards are everywhere. I can’t buy something in a supermarket, petrol station or restaurant without someone trying to sign me up and offer me bonus points.
Why? Because they work. You’re more likely to return to the same coffee shop if you know a free cappuccino is only three stamps away, just like you’re more likely to fly with Qantas if you’re collecting frequent flyer miles. It’s just human nature.
So why doesn’t the NRL get in on the action? One possible way to encourage people to attend games more regularly would be the passport model, where fans could stamp their club passport at every game they attend. It could work a little something like this:
- Attend five home games and receive free tickets to a sixth
- Attend ten homes games and receive a premium seat upgrade for the game of your choice, plus a team jersey
- Attend all home games and receive a jersey signed by the entire squad
- Attend all home-and-away games and receive free tickets to the grand final.
The above is just one of many possible models, and it could be modified and adapted to suit each individual club. For a team like Manly, whose supporters rarely travel, why not incentivise them to attend away fixtures? Or for a club like the Titans, who struggle for numbers at their home games, why not offer heavily discounted tickets when you buy in bulk (50 per cent discount when you buy tickets for five or more home games in a single transaction)?
Even clubs who do a lot of travelling, like North Queensland or New Zealand, have an opportunity to partner with airlines or hotel chains, and reward fans that travel with their team.
And it needn’t be just individual attendance which is rewarded. Any parent with school-aged children will be all too familiar with the Coles ‘Sports for Schools’ program, which awards sporting equipment vouchers with every purchase. A similar scheme would work wonderfully in the NRL.
Every time a child attends game, they could be given a token which they then deposit in the box allocated to their school or junior football side. At the end of the season, the school or club with the most tokens would receive a personal coaching clinic from their NRL team, or a group of players from that NRL side could pay a visit to their school.
These might seem like simple ideas, but they’re effective. If massive corporations like Wesfarmers, Qantas and the big banks are utilising these methods to retain customers, then there’s no reason why the NRL shouldn’t follow suit.
Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Swag
This one is a total no-brainer. People love free gear. It doesn’t matter if you’re old or young, male or female, a Central Coast tradie or a North Shore blue blood – we all swoon for swag.
We don’t even seem to care what it is; if it’s free, we’ll fight for it like a flock of Bondi seagulls squabbling over the final hot chip.
American sports have mastered the art of the free giveaway. From the moment you set foot in a US stadium or arena, the freebies begin. Whether it’s lucky door prizes, halftime seat draws, kiss-cam kit or the fabled T-shirt cannon, free gear has become as much a part of the game-day experience as watered down beer and tailgating.
Going to a rugby league game is the complete opposite experience. From the overpriced programs to the marked-up merchandise, attending an NRL match attracts more gouging than a Nate Myles tackle. Instead of using the gameday experience to captivate fans and drive repeat business, the NRL treats their supporters like walking, money-filled piñatas.
But this is easily fixed – just start giving away free stuff! It could be as simple as complimentary meat pies or team posters on arrival to something as memorable as signed jerseys and free tickets for fans in selected seats. Players and mascots should be kicking footballs into the stands at every opportunity, the coaching staff should be handing out training gear as they walk to the box, and even the ground staff could be giving away free gear courtesy of the stadium sponsors.
As I said at the top, I’m totally in favour of spending on stadiums. But unless the NRL makes some considerable changes to the way in which they engage with the rugby league public, we’ll end up with state of the art sporting facilities and nobody around to enjoy them.
Todd Greenberg has shown over the last few weeks that he’s unafraid to make tough decisions for the betterment of the sport, and I’m confident that by the times the doors open on those new stadiums, the NRL will be ready.
Mushi
Guest
The only problem with Smith was he had never held any position responsible for clients. He's worked treasury for various institutions, and was very good at it by all accounts, which is a financial markets role. And he was CEO of the "international" operations of a UK bank, which sounds cool but anyone that knew the institution would tell you that was a wind up vehicle being positioned for sale (hence a guy who knew risk and markets was watching the slow sell off) he had no exposure to any client strategy. I think he did an admirable job (anything compares favourably to Greenberg) but if the NRL wanted an entertainment innovator then they chose poorly.
Mushi
Guest
Well yes but given you can't see squat now from a cheap seat at an Nfl game I'm not sure adding 25k to each stadium would matter. Plus the Nfl, always counting season tickets as being attended, doesn't sell out every week. Less than a third of the league averages a sell out.
Mushi
Guest
I believe that they sub lease their outlets on Sunday games. They are an Atlanta based company so wanted to support the local franchise. It really turned out to be a much ado about nothing story
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Look Clip.There are peak hours weekdays, and there is weekend traffic.Weekend traffic in the main is generally far less, congested than weekdays.For a start weekday traffic starts from 6am and goes through to early evening Ask any taxi driver which is the most congested day long. Spent many years of my working life driving in Sydney traffic, weekdays involving Nth Shore up to Warringbah and out to western Sydney. 4 years as a representative operating from the CBD, and a stack working in the CBD,all involving me behind the wheel. I have worked in my city office on and off for a number of years catching up on work on quite a few Saturday mornings and on the very rare occasion Sunday morning. Buddy don't lecture me about Sydney traffic. Now you lecturing me on distances .I worked at St Leonards also for a short period.You know the Nth Shore. Have to bore you to death ,with my experience,but them's the breaks. Seriously you have been hugging too many Sherrins.Get into the real world .
clipper
Guest
Don't think you've driven much around Sydney if you think Saturday or Sunday traffic is 'no issue'. North Sydney Station is a fair distance from Mosman Have always agreed that Swans fans hate going to ANZ, it's a long way out of their zone. I agree that 6pm games aren't good, but that's the NRL's fault.
The H
Guest
The NRL will never go forward while Greenberg and the current Admin are there. Greenberg won’t answer correspondence. Admin are choosy about who they answer. Don’t question any decision of Admin they will ring up and abuse you. Yes I’ve had it happen. As your article pointed out the fans are becoming the mobile ATM’s. NRL publicity is a disaster. Referring is even worse. I believe NRL has about 3-6 good years left.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
I've been to a number of stadiums in the US, and the perks for ticket holders are numerous. Some stadiums provide an app, you put in your seat number, order food and it gets delivered to you. These stadiums have shown sales have risen because fans will buy if they don't miss the action. Some even give wait times for the toilets, best parking, best roads in and out, etc The new Vikings stadium has a loyalty program, where you accumulate points every time you go to an event there (game, concert, etc). You can cash these in for better seats, sideline passes, etc. These stadiums are aware that fans can easily sit at home at watch games, especially football in winter. They need to provide fans with the benefits of going to a game. The cost of living in Sydney, pathetic public transport and the 7 day a week traffic jam mean people won't go to a game, so a reason must be given to get the people to go Oh, and a roof. Have a look at how the stadium in Phoenix manages to get their grass to grow in an indoor stadium. Grow it outside and wheel it in on gameday https://dvaerialphoto.com/stadium-aerial-super-bowl-xlix/
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The Swans have one Thursday night match this year at the SCG @ 7.20pm The rest are 5 Saturday nights 1 Sunday afternoon 5 Friday nights The overwhelming majority suit their fans who live close Saturday and Sundays traffic no issue for Lower Nth Shore\ Even the solitary Thursday night. Sorry mate, scheduling ideal for your mob.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Ever heard of Nth Sydney railway station.Comparing that with Brookvale (the home of the Eagles) with the SCG home of the Swans is laughable. Destroying my argument. oh please,sheesh.Would you kindly advise me when the Swans play a game at 6pm on a Friday.Waiting................Which really puts a Harbour Bridge hole through your argument. Thursday nights (4) near to where their support base lives.LOL.Close to CBD workers . No wonder they hated going to ANZ stadium.You left yourself open once again.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
As the saying goes tell him he's dreaming. In comparison to what the various State and Federal Govts paid out(huge amounts)allowed, a token amount.For one code regular usage ,again one code.Certain rights available.The monies pale by comparison to the tremendous outlays by financially strapped State Govts. Check the monies paid by WA and SA have overall amount. And the AFL also paid a couple of mill,so ANZ would remain oval ,and stuff everyone else.. NO wonder Shepherd from the SCG and GWS and his mate Ayres who played AFL in western Sydney wanted to get SFS up and running, hoping ANZ would remain as is. Tally up the total expenditure to date ,and then the monies outlaid by the AFL ,there is just no comparison.Especially when it relates to one code, not three. Cheating compared to losses LOL,you are living in a world of fantasy.I know the amount of damage the drugs issue(cheating did with the Sharks).Players names for a start are tarnished as well as the club. Facing adversity !!!! CHEATING self imposed.Name tarnished Remember the Storm fan, who burnt his jumper in disgust. Facing adversity on the field is when you lose stars, lose money,regularly lose games look like folding.That's facing adversity.That's when fans vote with their feet. The money outlaid for Spotless for one team who dropped in ,stuffed the Blacktown council and people ,snubbed their nose at the State Govt monies outlaid, to move to Breakfast Creek..8 matches.Then $2m pa for what 10 years from the ACT Govt under the control of an AFL loving leader for 4 matches..Niothing to see here. The Lions have shown people are fickle for your code also, and regardless of all the propaganda that they'll attend regardless, they proved that theory wrong. Well you better hope the Swans have year after year semi prospects, because they sure as hell are not setting the world on fire with the TV ratings now in Sydney,and even less so with GWS. The Eels are showing the fact ,continual losses do not encourage crowds. in fact the the complete opposite. You have stated in rl threads ,when you come to make your usual ant rl statements, that the crowds for the Swans will continue to support their team through the bad times.When you have had your regular shot at the Storm having a bad stint.I don;t think you read what you type at times.
clipper
Guest
Goodness - a 'token' amount? I'd love to receive even a fraction of that - can't remember off hand, but I think it was around 25m to SCG, def. 13.3 for the Gold Coast stadium and $12 to the Spotless stadium - makes the $3 million feasibility study look pretty week. I have never said people will attend games regardless - the worse a team performs, the less fans it has - I do suspect that the Swans would still attract 20-25k even if doing poorly. Facing adversity due to H/O punishment compared to a long losing streak aren't comparable. The Lions losing streak is a bit comparable to Gold Coast's losing streak, both are in the doldrums.
clipper
Guest
I think it's your knowledge of the geography that is lacking - the rail network does not go past Neutral Bay, Cremorne or Mosman - unless you're not classifying them as lower North Shore! The Swans had 4 matches on Thursday or Friday night in 2017, so that destroys your argument as well.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Absolute rubbish.A salary cap scandal involving cheating ,where a CEO is held negligent and players held in doubt,compared to a losing sequence is laughable.Losing sponsors, getting a bad name. You keep telling us in the past, people will attend your games regardless ,the Lions position stuffed that theory. Comparing the Scottish Rangers fans of long standing (and the religious background) with new clubs like the Storm and the Lions,shows you have not a clue. The AFL put in token amounts, when one spells out the expenditure by Govt runs into the billions Oz wide.For one football code almost exclusive use. The WA and SA Govt were hardly in a good financial position. Remembering of course the money(millions) the State Govt/Blacktown council wasted on a promise(GWS) was to domicile themselves there.Remembering the $2m pa the financially strapped ACT GOVT (with their AFL fan minister Barr) ensured would continue for a number of years. And the money on the SCG was not chickenfeed. Management rights play a part in some cases ,the rectangular codes will not get any sort of benefit. Now millions to be spent on a facility in Qld for their AFLW team.Plus the sunshine coast are dipping in for the code there. The NRL for a start put in $3/4M via Smith just for a feasibility study on a new SFS stadium,for a stadium like all the other rectangular ones ,that will be used one more time, repeat after me 3 CODES, not ONE code. I do know they will be paying decent rental,as they do on the GC.It's not charity. Same tired old record from you mate, and hypocritical.Your mob has done exceptionally well from Govt,which you like to deflect when it's brought up.Typical.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
OMG Ever heard of rail ,direct to Central.About 10 minutes. Please mate you're getting desperate comparing Lower North Shore with outer Suburbs and even mid Sydney. On a Saturday night, usually at friendlier hours than say a 6pm Friday or Thursday night. LOL It's no theory .I worked in that area for 4 years I have a fair idea about bridge traffic on weekdays and weekends. . Not just tucked away in the Eastern suburbs, finding the need to swamp an opposing ccde's thread with indoctrinated propaganda. Do you understand Manly is not the Lower North Shore,theiir home ground is Brookvale.The Swans at the SCG.The Swans fans did not like going and many did not to Homebush.so cut the nonsense mate. I don't know how long you've been living in Sydney but judging by your comments about Nth South and West of the city, you don't get out much.
clipper
Guest
The lower North Shore fans you talk about who follow the Swans still have to cross the Harbour bridge - no mean feat in peak hour traffic, so that theory doesn't hold water either, especially considering Manly fans can't manage it.
clipper
Guest
The scenario of the Storm being stripped points and Lions having years of bad seasons are completely different. People will still follow teams who they think have been given a raw deal, hence the Rangers ( a Football team in Scotland) still got the same crowds when they were demoted from the premier league to the lowest division. I doubt the same would've happened if they kept losing matches and got demoted. The AFL put in some money for the new stands - how much are the NRL putting in?
Billl Brown
Guest
Bring your own food and drinks (non alcoholic of course)- it`s not like shops are closed after 12 pm on Saturdays anymore- that will save some money and look at membership offers as they do cater for season ticket/ part season attendances etc too - Times of games are still a concern in attending - hard to attend Thursday night with work/school next day - 6pm Friday game hard to get too as well after work/school - Saturday 3pm and 5:30pm too with kids sports getting into full swing - 8:00pm is the best time for night games- Friday and Saturday night(1 on Friday and 2 on Saturday) - have 1 12pm 2 2pm and 2 4pm games on Sunday- 9 can show Friday night game and 1 Saturday night game and 1 2pm and 1 4pm game on Sundays - FOX can show 1 Saturday night game and the 12pm Sunday game and 1 2pm and 1 4pm sunday game.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Its is funny and I;'m laughing at your predictable response. I stated the Roosters crowds are spread.You really don't; understand or bother to read my post. They still have have decent member numbers in the Eastern suburbs even down to Maroubra. I have never stated anything about participation re the Roosters.They have a very small local junior League,every RL man and his dog knows that.Cut the porkies mate, it doesn't help your debate. It makes no change to my comment, about where Swans fans reside ,and the fact Roosters like Souths have fans spread widely.As there are many Dragons fans living in the Shire. Swans fans even hate going to the ANZ when their matches were on.Says something. The facts are with two stadiums side by sidet,one has the vast majority of its fans based nearby meaning better and easier access.The other has its fans spread.It's not hard, even though you are doing your level best ,to suggest otherwise.Just for your usual negative agenda. The comment is about a silly as your "Never met a touch footballer who has then played rugby league."You wouldn't ,living in a rl hating bubble. Prove me wrong on the status of the SFS as to suitability for female fans re restrooms.Or go back to the AFL threads
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Same applies to the Swans hey Clip.Notice you still feeling queasy,re new rectangular stadiums being built. Bear in mind the Storm had a massive salary cap scandal, and played for zero points one season.Fans still attended.And the next.Nowhere near the promotion and money put in like the Lions received. The LIons are in a city that is not as rabid about their main sport as Melbourne is. We were told by many within your code,that people will attend in numbers regardless of the position on the table.Better at the ground.Maybe not ,hey Clip!! People are fickle. They(Swans) have had a charmed life since 1995:SL war,reguar semis and a premierships, star players imported,from Capper,Locket,Franklin,Big Barry,COLA,you beaut new stands where people like FitzSimons remained conspiculously silent.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Have to respond i did ,and if you bothered to read what I stated,AAMI has assisted the Storm crowds. Check their crowds during the Olympic Park era. They are growing their crowds,,membership(now at record levels)and grassroots also growing.This is a fair and factual indication to me ,that a decent stadium does drive crowds. "You stated this is the model". The model is different when you have 3 rectangular codes using a stadium,in a non heartland area.