NRL night grand finals here to stay

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Jethro

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The record ratings for the NRL grand final have effectively killed off any hope of the game being returned to a daytime slot.

The decider between South Sydney and Canterbury was a ratings bonanza for the Nine Network, which secured a five-city average audience of 2,597,000 and a peak of 3,098,000. Those figures are the highest for an NRL game since OzTam ratings began.

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The record ratings for the NRL grand final have effectively killed off any hope of the game being returned to a daytime slot.

The decider between South Sydney and Canterbury was a ratings bonanza for the Nine Network, which secured a five-city average audience of 2,597,000 and a peak of 3,098,000. Those figures are the highest for an NRL game since OzTam ratings began.

ANZ-Stadium1.jpg
There was also a ground record of 83,833 set at ANZ Stadium, the largest crowd since the venue was reconfigured after the Sydney Olympics. That beat the previous mark of 83,813 set for the deciding game of last year's State of Origin series. The NRL believes the demand for tickets was such that they could have accommodated a crowd of more than 100,000 had the original Olympic configuration remained.

The governing body is locked into staging the grand finals at night until the end of the current broadcast agreement, which expires at the end of 2017. There have been calls from fans to revert to the daytime slot, which would make the match more accessible for young children. Several high-profile players have also stated their preference for daytime football, saying the dewy conditions in the evening make the ball slipperier and less conducive to expansive football. However, the NRL's head of commercial, Paul Kind, said the early evening kick-off ensured the biggest possible audience.

"This year's grand final attracted the biggest television audience ever for an NRL match," Kind said.

"So, while the grand final will be part of the discussions for the next rights deal, it is clear that we reach more people by staging the game in the early evening."

The NRL's head of football, Todd Greenberg, added: "We haven't spoken about [timeslots] since the grand final but I think the numbers speak for themselves in terms of the numbers inside the stadium and with broadcast.

"It's obviously a phenomenal event that's been built over a long period of time and I think Sunday night showed the way the grand final is positioned, the way it is delivered and executed on the day and night, was phenomenal. The ratings speak to that."

The grand final will remain in Sydney until at least the end of the 2019 season, as there is a contractual agreement to stage games at ANZ Stadium for that period. However, in the lead-up to the Souths-Canterbury classic, NRL CEO Dave Smith floated the prospect of taking it out of Sydney for the first time at some point. With the exception of the 1997 Super League decider, which was held in Brisbane, every grand final in the 106-year history of rugby league has been held in Sydney.

The NSW Minister for Sport and Recreation, Stuart Ayres, said it was his desire to keep it that way, promising to do his utmost to keep it here.

"NSW is the spiritual home of rugby league in our country. Even contemplating moving the grand final away from Sydney is madness," Ayres said.

"Sydney offers bigger crowds, bigger TV audiences, and after the classic grand final on the weekend the biggest and best experience."

The NSW government has outlined its stadium strategy, which focuses resources towards the upgrade of major stadiums. Officials at ANZ Stadium are hoping for a significant facelift to the venue before its contract to host deciders lapses.
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Adrian Proszenko
SMH

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...rand-finals-here-to-stay-20141009-113niq.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
"The NRL’s head of football, Todd Greenberg, added: “We haven’t spoken about [timeslots] since the grand final but I think the numbers speak for themselves in terms of the numbers inside the stadium and with broadcast."
Two teams who are basically within stones throw of the stadium. No wonder they got big numbers. Wait until they get a couple of out of town teams in the GF and see how many they pull. That probably won't matter to the NRL though, it's all about the tv broadcast. Ask the fans and the majority would say they want Sunday afternoon. Of course the fans don't come into the equation with Greenberg and his cohorts.
 
What a surprise. Channel Nein dictates everything.
Next we'll have the NRL lending players to Channel Nein for their reality shows, Big Brother and The Block etc. (The AFL is one up on the NRL here - with Darren Jolly - ex Swan - a contestant in the reality building show).
 
They're 100% right.

If the game was played at 3pm, the crowd would have been about 30,000 and the TV audience would have been paltry. :p

What is wrong with these people ?
 
ManlyBacker said:
I am starting to really respect the AFL. At least they don't sell out every part of the game to TV executives. The club memberships and game attendances and the TV rights income blow our game away, but the NRL persists in following whatever Nein/Fox tell them.
Who knows, maybe by the next broadcast negotiations the NRL will stick up for fans.
Then again, and on current form, maybe they won't.
 
SeaEagleRock8 said:
ManlyBacker said:
I am starting to really respect the AFL. At least they don't sell out every part of the game to TV executives. The club memberships and game attendances and the TV rights income blow our game away, but the NRL persists in following whatever Nein/Fox tell them.
Who knows, maybe by the next broadcast negotiations the NRL will stick up for fans.
Then again, and on current form, maybe they won't.

Yep let's not hold our breath on that one unless Dogberg, Smith & Grant depart HQ...
 
Moondog said:
"The NRL’s head of football, Todd Greenberg, added: “We haven’t spoken about [timeslots] since the grand final but I think the numbers speak for themselves in terms of the numbers inside the stadium and with broadcast."
Two teams who are basically within stones throw of the stadium. No wonder they got big numbers. Wait until they get a couple of out of town teams in the GF and see how many they pull. That probably won't matter to the NRL though, it's all about the tv broadcast. Ask the fans and the majority would say they want Sunday afternoon. Of course the fans don't come into the equation with Greenberg and his cohorts.

2006 (Donkeys vs Scum), the only time in the history of the competition that two non-Sydney teams have played in the GF. It was also the only time that a GF at ANZ Stadium has failed to attract 80,000 fans (official attendance was 79,609).

But lets put 2014 into perspective. Two Sydney based teams who happen to play their home games at the GF venue, and probably the two Sydney teams with the biggest supporter base, and one of them was playing a GF for the first time in 43 years. What did they think was going to be the outcome in terms of the crowd number and TV ratings?

Its like Nein putting Friday night games on GEM up against live AFL broadcasts in non-league states and expecting to get big ratings......


ManlyBacker said:
I am starting to really respect the AFL. At least they don't sell out every part of the game to TV executives. The club memberships and game attendances and the TV rights income blow our game away, but the NRL persists in following whatever Nein/Fox tell them.

The difference is that the AFL only sold broadcast rights to their game. Seven (and Fox) don't run the AFL, they are only there to televise the games to the masses.

The AFL actually did go with Nein at one point about 10 years ago......didn't last long though and Seven were quickly back on board. All Nein have now with the AFL is their version of The Footy Show, plus the odd high profile player (or ex-player) reading sports reports on the news (at least, its like that in Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth).

The NRL are basically puppets for whatever Nein executives (see Gyngell) want. Nein have this mentality that they didn't just buy the broadcast rights, they believe they actually bought the game and as such its theirs to do with as they please.
 
Was over 30 degrees at 3pm on Sunday. I too prefer arvo grand final but im sure the players would rather not play in that heat.
 
Pablo said:
Was over 30 degrees at 3pm on Sunday. I too prefer arvo grand final but im sure the players would rather not play in that heat.

The two earlier games were fantastic. They didn't worry about the heat. Far better quality running RL than the slogathon in the main game.
The quality of all sport improves in daylight ... yeah, yeah I know what you're going to say, but that 'sport' is a human necessity rather than a pastime.
 
I enjoy and badly need the public holiday on the Monday. It's way more important than if the game is played in the afternoon or night.
 
A nite GF just feels wrong. Don't get me wrong I had a feel ales at the brewery after the game. But even then had to have one eye on the clock as the trains stop running at 11. How good is it after the AFL having all that time to celebrate..ahh sorry swans lol.
 
simon64 said:
They're 100% right.

If the game was played at 3pm, the crowd would have been about 30,000 and the TV audience would have been paltry. :p

What is wrong with these people ?

Agree with the Homer Simpson sarcasm 100% S64.

I'm starting to really dislike night GF's, mainly because they finish around 10pm.

3pm kick off for me. Every GF will sellout ANZ and match those great TV viewing audience figures.

Nine (or whoever the broadcaster might be), still has the same number of ads & still sells ad time at the same enourmous rates.

I just don't get it.
Maybe nein / NRL just hate young kids?

cheers
 

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