AFL 2015: Report reveals true value of Friday night footy to clubs

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

What I would like to see is a 3 year rolling fixture so everyone gets the same amount of Friday night games (the same setup as most people are saying). Then also have 8 Thursday night games every year with the top 8 sides from the year before getting one home game each playing against another top 8 side from the season before. This will give the viewers at least 8 good games to watch in a prime timeslot.

 

[SgtSchulz]

"Don't bring us down" - Eddie McGuire

* off fat campaigner if your club is so special then it should be able to survive with the same conditions as all the other clubs. One day the fixture should be perfectly equal and if clubs are still struggling then they should be helped financially (or cut).

 

[Lefthanded]

From the tv ratings thread in the footy industry board (includes fox and Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane metro markets):

Round 1: Thursday: Carlton v Richmond 0.925 mil
Round 2: Friday: West Coast v Carlton 0.916 mil
Round 3: Friday: Collingwood v St Kilda 0.795 mil
Round 4: Friday: Melbourne v Richmond 0.840 mil
Round 5: Friday: Collingwood v Carlton 0.782 mil
Round 6: Friday: Collingwood v Geelong 0.858 mil
Round 7: Friday: Essendon v North 0.874 mil
Round 8: Friday: Geelong v Carlton 0.770 mil
Round 9: Friday: Sydney v Carlton 0.825 mil
Round 10: Friday: Fremantle v Richmond 0.972 mil
Round 11: Friday: Port v Geelong 0.904 mil
Round 12: Thursday: Fremantle v Collingwood 0.942 mil Friday: Sydney v Richmond 0.874 mil (personal number crunching, may be wrong)
Round 13: Thursday: Fremantle v Collingwood 0.943 mil Friday: Sydney v Richmond 0.873 mil
Round 14: Thursday: Port v Sydney 0.833 mil Friday: Collingwood v Hawthorn 1.035 mil
Round 15: Thursday: Port v Collingwood 0.831 mil Friday: Richmond v Carlton 0.716 mil

Thank you for posting these! (You might want to check round 12 and 13 though as I'm pretty sure Freo v Pies & Swans v Rich didn't happen two weeks running)

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Id dare say almost every single supporter that barracks for a club that doesn't reside in their city/town/region.

I'd disagree with that, success is way more important

 

[garlic munchers]

The reality is that Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Carlton and Richmond shoulder this league (they have the national footprint that generates the TV money)

If you dont like that reality perhaps Port Adelaide, Norwood, Claremont and West Torrens can create a rival comp? I'm sure they'd be competitive

As opposed to a rival comp that would in effect be WC, Freo, Crows, Port, GWS, Sydney, GC and Brisbane and a couple of Melbourne sides that don't want to be a suburban comp?

Whilst it will never happen, its funny how you ignore the fact that it is actually TV rights that shoulder the comp and as a component of these, the Melbourne factor is far less than 1/2 of the whole.

Want proof, look at the money the AFL has thrown at GWS and the GC.

The only reality is, over time the Melbourne influence must dissipate, albeit it hasn't happened quick enough for many.

You can stick your hands over your eyes and claim it will never happen, but higher population growth in NSW, QLD & WA (predicted population of 5 - 6 million by 2040), a conversion of rugby supporters to AFL and the inevitable addition of another team in WA and maybe Tassie, means reality bite's back.

Final point, as opposed to shouldering the comp, I would have thought the Bombers and Blues were actually dragging us down - hardly shining examples of how to go about it!

 

[Richo83]

Thank you for posting these! (You might want to check round 12 and 13 though as I'm pretty sure Freo v Pies & Swans v Rich didn't happen two weeks running)

I fixed it, thanks for the spot.

One thing to come out of the Thursday night figures is that, especially when paired with an interstate side from say SA or WA, Thursday night football really works. I'm not sure if it works more than Monday night football (Thursday night is a night where a lot of people go out, and it is later in the week) but expect more of it, and don't be surprised if Thursday night becomes WA or SA night, especially if they play a Victorian side.

 

[Richo83]

Not too sure about Geelong as they've had 1 good Friday night and 1 bad, but having a WA team on definitely increases the national average as I believe these are the only Friday night games played live in WA and they are also played on Ch 7 instead of on mate (gladly be corrected on this if wrong).

But even if we look at the all important Melbourne ratings which we are constantly told are all that matters, it's pretty much the same story.

Geelong draw good crowds. In fact this year after round 11, they averaged 650k per game, which is higher than any other club (from the footy industry tv ratings thread page 12). With the bad game, it was Carlton at their nadir, pair them with even a remotely decent side and you'd get 850k or so, maybe more.

 

[L_W_P]

Let's assume we get Good Friday footy in the next TV deal so there will be 23 Friday night games over 23 rounds.

Give every club a locked in Friday night home game AND ensure every club plays away on Friday night at least once as well = 18 games. Then the AFL have 5 games to plug in the matchups they think will rate that year. Yes it probably still means clubs like Carlton, Richmond, Collingwood and Essendon get 3-4 Friday night games but at least everyone else has a fair crack.

Book Saints v Bulldogs at Etihad on Friday night. Or give the Dogs a home game against the Swans after their heroics this season. Melbourne vs Geelong at the MCG. North v Carlton on Good Friday. How would GWS go hosting a Friday night game? Sure the crowd wont be huge but we want it to be fair yeah? Swans v Eagles on a Friday night - 10 years since those back to back Grand Finals and one of the great modern rivalries.

Just change it up and see what happens I say!

 

[Lefthanded]

I fixed it, thanks for the spot.

One thing to come out of the Thursday night figures is that, especially when paired with an interstate side from say SA or WA, Thursday night football really works. I'm not sure if it works more than Monday night football (Thursday night is a night where a lot of people go out, and it is later in the week) but expect more of it, and don't be surprised if Thursday night becomes WA or SA night, especially if they play a Victorian side.

The 3 Thurs or Fri games involving a WA side and high membership Vic team have all rated very well (in part because WA sides have good following too and all 3 involved teams doing reasonably well this year.)

 

[Crankyhawk]

Brayshaw nailed it. They're negotiating TV rights next year so scheduled the big Victorian clubs (us excepted for obvious reasons) for lots of Friday night games to try and pump up the ratings, and thus the value. And it's backfired spectacularly.

May help to show that you don't need to bias fixture to pump up ratings but distribute fairly and ratings will not suffer.

 

[Papa G]

A stand alone game on Good Friday would rate its socks off, no matter who was playing.

 

[ManWithNoName]

May help to show that you don't need to bias fixture to pump up ratings but distribute fairly and ratings will not suffer.

Yep. People get sick of watching the same sides over and over. But a chance to have a look at the Dogs or GWS or a Showdown/Derby would be great.

 

[Crankyhawk]

The AFLPA having been pushing for all players to have a shot at a premiership, my thoughts were you need cash and therefore you need exposure to have a even premiership chance.

They all have a shot by using free agency to win a flag.

 

[Richo83]

The 3 Thurs or Fri games involving a WA side and high membership Vic team have all rated very well (in part because WA sides have good following too and all 3 involved teams doing reasonably well this year.)

But even Thursday and Friday matches featuring SA teams have done well as well. Maybe you need to pair them with a Victorian club who has a lot of fans or is doing well, my point is that it doesn't have to be just two Victorian sides, the AFL should have more SA and WA teams on Thursday and Friday nights. It has done it a bit this year, but it's been reluctant in the past. Hopefully it does it a bit more.

 

[Lefthanded]

But even Thursday and Friday matches featuring SA teams have done well as well. Maybe you need to pair them with a Victorian club who has a lot of fans or is doing well, my point is that it doesn't have to be just two Victorian sides, the AFL should have more SA and WA teams on Thursday and Friday nights. It has done it a bit this year, but it's been reluctant in the past. Hopefully it does it a bit more.

Not only the SA teams but also the Swans. Basically any time there are teams playing from different states you have one that has a fan base where most won't be able to go to the game = ready made TV audience plus many neutral fans if good teams. Not sure whether that will apply if GWS or Suns (low fan base) were playing as other than the home team.

 

[Rob]

I love how the lowerclubs sook about no Friday's. Why does the afl give the big clubs Friday's? Because they make more money so when the lower clubs put there hand out for cash the afl has plenty to give out.

That would actually be valid if the clubs that were scheduled on Fridays rated well on TV. Carlton doesn't.

 

[Topkent]

They all have a shot by using free agency to win a flag.

No they Don't

 

[Kram]

They don't rate, why do they deserve a Friday night timeslot?

How the hell would you know when they never get any?

 

[DrEvil_]

To Bulldogs getting zero is an absolute disgrace.

They are the Sunday twilight specialists.

 

[Kram]

If I had my way all Freos games would be on Saturday night and arvo but smaller vic clubs need a share of the biggest timeslot. As a neutral the Bulldogs are good to watch, I mean the crap Carlton dish up ffs.

 

[telsor]

I'm all for making it even, but it needs to be remembered that non-vic clubs get all their games broadcast on FTA into their home market, so they get a 'leg up' from that already.

 

[DAWESOME!!]

I'm happy for it to be shared around. The FTA/pay tv divide is a much bigger issue from my point of view. I'll tune in and watch any game, but especially my team, but I don't have Foxtel and am not going to get it.

The fact the pay TV only slots are at shitty times like twilight only makes it worse.

Would love for 7 to try to take all of footy back. Make one of their digital channels footy focused, show all games live, via the multichannel, and do replays of games through the week. Reckon it would work. Never happen though...

 

[Persevering Saint]

The most exciting thing about Friday night for a Saints fan is seeing who makes the team, when it's finalised for the seemingly inevitable game we're playing on Sunday. Week. After. Week.

 

[YEMOC NAYR]

In hindsite I can see why Dogs didn't get too many fri night games, but the kind of footy they play I wouldn't be against seeing them in a few next year.

Ess not getting many is due to us requesting more sunday games due to a member survey the club conducted.

 

[Ian Dunross]

I love how the lowerclubs sook about no Friday's. Why does the afl give the big clubs Friday's? Because they make more money so when the lower clubs put there hand out for cash the afl has plenty to give out.

Read my post on page 1 to see how stupid this argument is. Not to mention the fallacy that big clubs put rate well performing clubs.