2020 AFL Crowds & Ratings Thread

Aug 14, 2011
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The topic under discussion was just the GF ratings - so why did you make it "top 5" out of the blue. for no apparent reason? And if it's because 'it's all in a few weeks' in order to include origin, then let's also include all the finals ratings of the last few weeks - and we all know how that's gone in an AFL v NRL comparison.

That was a curiously worded post you made - "Its only ever about crowds for AFL folk. For TV, the top 5 sporting TV ratings are with us, both GFs & Origin 1- 3".

Apart from the arbitrary use of 'top 5', you clearly don't identify yourself as one of "AFL folk", but who/what is "us"?

My comments were transparent, curious perhaps, & when I reply to a post, you might consider the context.
If you want to discuss a different aspect fine by me.
The relevance of the top ratings is they will be played out over the next few weeks.
 

RedV3x

It's about time some mods started being fair
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The relevance of the top ratings is they will be played out over the next few weeks.

The hierarchy of ratings would be average ratings, followed by series ratings, followed by event ratings.
The AFL receives such a magnificent media package because of consistent average ratings throughout the football season.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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The hierarchy of ratings would be average ratings, followed by series ratings, followed by event ratings.
The AFL receives such a magnificent media package because of consistent average ratings throughout the football season.

Your experience? Advertising value, the income ....

The AFL ratings certainly count, as does Origin for the NRL media deal & the regular speculation over Origin rights.
 

RedV3x

It's about time some mods started being fair
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Your experience?

Pure and unadulterated common sense. it is really really simple.

The AFL media package is worth more because AFL produces good ratings week in week out, throughout the football season.
Then the AFL season culminates with AFL finals series. Even after the game rates well for AFL as well a peripheral events like drafts and medal counts.
 
Jul 2, 2010
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Your experience? Advertising value, the income ....

The AFL ratings certainly count, as does Origin for the NRL media deal & the regular speculation over Origin rights.

Every year since 1999 (in fact every year bar 2 since 1991) the AFL has received more media rights income annually than any other sport in the country, origin or not. Thats established fact. And not one based on 3 or 4 games a year, but on delivering 4.5m average viewers a week (about 1m more per week than the NRL average) and with a reach almost 50% higher than the average NRL, delivering in the right demographics, delivering in the right time slots, delivering in non match areas, such as regular viewers to footy discussion shows and other addons, as well as news lead ins.

hell a couple of years ago RADIO rights for the AFL were 8 TIMES what the NRL was getting.
 

BringBackTorps

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This Morgan Poll (only counting those 18+) states the 2017 AFL GF was watched by 8.4m people. And a further 1.8m watched only the highlights, shortly after the game!


If the GF ever departs from the traditional afternoon timeslot, it would rate much lower- & resonate less, as a cultural phenomenon for GR AF. The home party & Club BBQ's, kick to kick at half time, handball "comps." at half time & after the game etc. will not be the same for an evening GF.

A night GF might also be more anti-social, as probably there would be more heavy drinking beforehand- with a small minority of drunks spoiling the atmosphere for others. Kids under 7 y.o. are less likely to watch the complete GF when starting in the evening.

The Morgan Poll GF's ratings are always much higher than usual TV ratings box-derived nos. Morgan is able to count all those watching in very large nos. in home parties, pubs/bars, GR Club functions etc.

If a Qld. or NSW team is in the GF, the ratings are always much higher. Because the GF is in Qld., & has had so much publicity there, I expect Qld. to rate higher than usual (even without a Qld. team playing).
 
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If the GF ever departs from the traditional afternoon timeslot, it would rate much lower- & resonate less, as a cultural phenomenon for GR AF. The home party & Club BBQ's, kick to kick at half time, handball "comps." at half time & after the game etc. will not be the same for an evening GF.

A night GF might also be more anti-social, as probably there would be more heavy drinking beforehand- with a small minority of drunks spoiling the atmosphere for others. Kids under 7 y.o. are less likely to watch the complete GF when starting in the evening.
Are you saying that it's impossible to hold barbecues later in the day and have a kick before the game? Or are you just saying those things would directly hurt TV ratings? Truly laughable in either case. And I hope you're not trying to suggest that Roy Morgan article supports your baseless opinion.

Kids under 7 don't watch the full game anyway, by the way.
 

Our Game

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Are you saying that it's impossible to hold barbecues later in the day and have a kick before the game? Or are you just saying those things would directly hurt TV ratings? Truly laughable in either case. And I hope you're not trying to suggest that Roy Morgan article supports your baseless opinion.

Kids under 7 don't watch the full game anyway, by the way.

I'm with you tradition doesn't pay the bills the TV Networks do.
All the BS about a day GF - some people can't handle change and if its SO good during the day why are the PFs played at night?

There millions of people at work shopping and playing sport on Sat afternoons why should they be denied seeing the GF live?

We used to go to matches in the past by Steam Train,Cable Trams and Handsome Cabs and watch replays on 17in black and white TVs but time moves on!
 

BringBackTorps

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Are you saying that it's impossible [No]to hold barbecues later in the day and have a kick before the game?

BBQ's are easier to manage in the daylight, at lunch time. Most people prefer eating BBQ's outdoors, in warmth & sunlight; & some guests etc. like to congregate around the cook/BBQ area. Many GR Clubs don't have sufficient space for everyone to eat indoors. In cool late Sept., therefore, the whole BBQ ambience is much better with a daytime GF.
In late Sept. in Vic., sthn. WA, & SA, if it was a night GF, it would be cool, or cold, when cooking & eating. In Tas., it would generally be cold, with dusk commencing. All much less conducive for a BBQ party, cf lunch time.
Many would only want to eat the BBQ inside the house or pavilion, if it was a night time GF.

For daytime GF's, people can have the traditional kick to kick/shots at goal/handball comp. before the game; and again at half time. Sometimes, also, after the game, while there is still light around.
A night GF makes the half time kick-to-kick, goal shots, & handball comps. much more unlikely- it would be dark, & much cooler.


Or are you just saying those things would directly hurt TV ratings
In general patterns, there tends to be much more drinking, for the vast majority of people, in the evenings ie not during the day.

I believe a Night GF would result in significantly more drinking of alcohol, swearing, & anti-social behaviour of a minority at the BBQ.
This would reduce the family atmosphere (with lots of women & kids around) of the daytime GF BBQ- & might cause fewer people (particularly women & mothers) to attend. Many would not enjoy the "rowdy" night time GF BBQ. Ratings, therefore, could be affected.
Very few people drink alcohol in the mornings, so don't arrive at a lunch GF BBQ already half-tanked. With a Night GF, I suspect some/many would already have been drinking for an hour, or two.

There is already too much drinking of alcohol on AFL & NRL GF days, causing very high levels of domestic violence. Shifting to a night GF would certainly exacerbate this.



Truly laughable in either case.
The only thing that is laughable & foolish about night time GF's is, of course, there is a much stronger possibility of dew= slippery ball.

A slippery ball equals:-

. lower disposal efficiency
. more packs
. more tackling (& tackling/bumping/pushing/collision injuries are at record highs)
. more stoppages & ball-ups
. more slipping

This would contribute to the current lowest, average scoring since the semi-pro year of 1968 (& lower scoring = less advertising $; & boring football, lower ratings- as "casual" fans turn off).

The only thing that is really laughable is that we have been paying the 11 person Not For Profit AFL executives c. $10.5m pa (AFAIK, the highest sum for a Not For Profit organisation in the world- with the possible exception of major US sports, such as the NFL, who have somehow arranged their structures to be NFP).


Kids under 7 don't watch the full game anyway, by the way.
Some very young kids are able to watch the full GF, if it is played during the day- but, if it is a night GF, would go to bed before it finished.
Or older kids, who had very young siblings, would have to go home early (& thus miss the full GF)- because their parents wanted to put their younger siblings to bed.


And I hope you're not trying to suggest that Roy Morgan article supports your baseless[No] opinion.
I await your response that shows my facts & assertions are incorrect.

Are you suggesting that the Morgan nos. 8.4m +1.8m=10.2m, are faulty?
The Morgan Poll is far more accurate, re ratings' nos., than the TV Ratings' boxes. Unlike the latter, the Morgan Poll is able to count for people who watch the GF at home parties, pubs & bars, GR AF Club BBQ's etc.


I'm with you tradition doesn't pay the bills the TV Networks do.

The AFL, with its very inflated, overstaffed, & overpaid HQ & Club Football Department expenditures (not inc. player wages) etc. have, arguably (current FD expenses reduced by c.$3.5m pa now) wasted c. $1b since c. 2004.
This is/was the fiscal area the AFL needs to concentrate on.

why are the PFs played at night?
The Preliminary Finals, & other games, certainly rate higher at night time.
This discussion, however, is about the GF only- &, as I have enunciated above, there are many factors to consider, it is not simply a ratings' consideration.


All the BS about a day GF - some people can't handle change
For c. 4 decades, VFL/AFL officials have been exhorted by some to switch to a Night GF. The VFL/AFL said there is much public & GR Club support to keep the GF as a daytime event- & this is the major reason why it has remained as a day event.
Why do you believe the VFL/AFL had/has this view for decades? Were they saying BS?

Do you think those in the GR are also misguided- also spout BS?

Does it concern you that dew would reduce the disposal efficiency of players kicking/marking/handballing- & thus the spectacle of the most important game of the year?
 
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BBQ's are easier to manage in the daylight, at lunch time. Most people prefer eating BBQ's outdoors, in warmth & sunlight; & some guests etc. like to congregate around the cook/BBQ area. Many GR Clubs don't have sufficient space for everyone to eat indoors. In cool late Sept., therefore, the whole BBQ ambience is much better with a daytime GF.
In late Sept. in Vic., WA, & SA, if it was a night GF, it would be cooler, or cold, when cooking & eating. In Tas., it would generally be cold, with dusk commencing. All much less conducive for a BBQ, cf lunch time.
Many would only want to eat the BBQ inside the house, if it was a night time GF.

For daytime GF's, people can have the traditional kick/handball comp. before the game; and again at half time. Sometimes, also, after the game, while there is still light around.
A night GF makes the half time kick-to-kick & handball comps. much more unlikely- it would be night, & much cooler.

In general patterns, there tends to be a lot more drinking, for the vast majority of people, in the evenings ie not during the day.

I believe a Night GF would result in much more drinking of alcohol, & anti-social behaviour of a minority at the BBQ.
This would reduce the family atmosphere (with lots of kids around) of the daytime GF BBQ- & might cause fewer people (particularly women & mothers) to attend. Many would not enjoy the "rowdy" night time GF BBQ. Ratings, therefore, could be affected.
Most people rarely drink alcohol in the mornings, so don't arrive at a day time lunch GF BBQ already half-tanked. With a Night GF, I suspect some/many would already have been drinking for an hour, or two.

The only thing that is laughable about night time GF's is, of course, there is a much stronger possibility of dew= slippery ball.

A slippery ball equals:-

. lower disposal efficiency
. more packs
. more tackling (& tackling/bumping/pushing/collision injuries are at record highs)
. more stoppages & ball-ups
. thus the AFL has the lowest, average scoring since the semi-pro year of 1968 (& lower scoring = less advertising $, & boring football)

The only thing that is really laughable is that we have been paying the 11 person AFL executives c. $10.5m pa (AFAIK, the highest sum for a Not For Profit organisation in the world- with the possible exception of major US sports, such as the NFL, who have somehow arranged their structures to be NFP).

Some very young kids are able to watch the full GF, if it is played during the day- but, if it is a night GF, would go to bed before it finished.
Or older kids, who had very young siblings, would have to go home early (& thus miss the full GF)- because their parents wanted to put their younger siblings to bed.

The Morgan Poll is far more accurate, re ratings' nos., that the TV Ratings' boxes. Unlike the latter, the Morgan Poll is able to count for people who watch the GF at home parties, pubs & bars, GR AF Club BBQ's etc.
Nothing about that poll suggests a night grand final would rate "much lower" due to some imaginary impact on barbecues, despite your bizarre initial claim.

Wet weather and low scores have historically had no discernible impact on the TV ratings and quality of football for grand finals. Any informed and honest person would admit the fluctuations appear to be entirely dictated by the teams involved and competitiveness of the match.

As for the salaries of administrators... good for you, quit while you're behind and change the topic completely.
 

BringBackTorps

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Jan 5, 2017
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Nothing about that poll suggests a night grand final would rate "much lower" due to some imaginary impact on barbecues

Wet weather and low scores have historically had no discernible impact on the TV ratings and quality of football [Disagree] for grand finals. Any informed and honest person would admit the fluctuations appear to be entirely dictated by the teams involved and competitiveness of the match.

As for the salaries of administrators... good for you, quit while you're behind and change the topic completely.
The Morgan Poll said the AFL 2017 GF had 8.4m viewers; & a further 1.8m viewers who only watched the highlights. Total 10.2m.
Because these nos. were so large, it can be assumed the GF obviously attracts a majority of casual/one-off AFL viewers. For the reasons I provided, many of these might not watch a night GF at a house or Club BBQ function, pub or bar etc.- particularly if it was more boozy, which it almost certainly would be.

This link below is further proof that GF's are unlike any other games- & attract much more drinking, inappropriate behaviour, & some domestic violence. A night GF would cause more anti-social problems- many would be tanked ("a few too many beers") even before the game started.

Only a small minority of DV cases are officially reported.

Ch.7 TV executives disagree with you, re "quality of football". In 2018, Ch7 said it much preferred the pre 2005, traditional, more free-flowing, less defensive, higher scoring style of games.
Dozens of AF MSM experts, & ex players & coaches (& several AFL officials, current coaches & players- inc. Dangerield & Pendlebury) have expressed their concerns at the modern, scrappy tackleball/ stoppages game style ie they are a blight. AFAIK, no AF experts support it. The AFL Charter Of The Game also advocates a game that is generally attacking, free-flowing, lots of one-on-one contests, & with reasonably good scoring.
I prefer the views of these people, cf anonymous social media posters.

I raised the wasteful salaries of administrators, & expenses, in response to poster Our Game- to counter his comment that he believed the AFL should be primarily concerned with GF revenues.

I note you have ignored virtually all the facts & assertions I have made above in posts #856 & 859- appropriate conclusions can be drawn. If they are wrong, enlighten me.
 
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Ch.7 TV executives disagree with you, re "quality of football". In 2018, Ch7 said it much preferred the pre 2005, traditional, more free-flowing less defensive, higher scoring style of games.
Dozens of AF MSM experts have expressed their concerns at the modern, scrappy tackleball/ stoppages game style ie they are a blight. AFAIK, no AF experts support it. The AFL Charter Of The Game also advocates a game that is generally attacking, free-flowing, lots of one-on-one contests, & with reasonably good scoring.
I prefer the views of these people, cf anonymous social media posters.

I raised the salaries of administrators in response to poster Our Game- who made a point about that he believed the AFL should be primarily concerned with revenues.

I note you have ignored virtually all the points I have made above, & appropriate conclusions can be drawn. If they are wrong, enlighten me.
Those criticisms have been directed at the average game of football, not grand finals. But if you care about what TV executives think, perhaps you should stop to wonder why there's a push for a night grand final to begin with. Ultimately though, it's the numbers coming through tomorrow morning that matter. I'm happy to let the ratings tell the story.

If you feel I've ignored any of your points, just assume it's because I think they're stupid and not worth responding to. It would especially be a real waste of time to continue sifting through your bullshit, given your response is just going to be "don't care what you think, anonymous poster".
 

youneverknow22

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3,812,000 (Metro 2,979,000 Regional 833,000)
The 2020 audience is well up on 2019 when 2,939,000 tuned in with 2,197,000 in metro markets. 2020 is the biggest AFL Grand Final audience since 2016 when 4,121,000 were watching Western Bulldogs defeat Sydney Swans.

TV ratings breakdown by market:
Sydney
413,000
Melbourne 1,583,000
Brisbane 383,000
Adelaide 265,000
Perth 335,000

Queensland 141,000
Northern NSW 131,000
Southern NSW 120,000
Victoria 260,000
Tasmania 98,000
Western Australia 82,000
 

t0mmO

All Australian
Sep 10, 2013
652
669
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Port Adelaide
They're good numbers don't get me wrong, but I honestly expected higher. Held during lockdown between two clubs with big supporter bases and at prime time. Should have been a recipe to rate better than only setting a 4-yearly record.
 

NoobPie

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They're good numbers don't get me wrong, but I honestly expected higher. Held during lockdown between two clubs with big supporter bases and at prime time. Should have been a recipe to rate better than only setting a 4-yearly record.

About 12% higher metro than 2018 which went down to the wire between two massive clubs
 

MattF185

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Yep, definitely expected higher since more people would’ve been watching at home. Disappointing.
 

Demon13304

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Feb 12, 2014
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Don't 2 Melbourne clubs rate lower vs an Interstate/Vic duo?

Yep exactly

This was always gonna be the case with 2 vic clubs even if they are big clubs. Victorians were still gonna watch the game whether there were Vic clubs or not, so ideally the game would've rated higher with non Vic clubs involved
 
Don't 2 Melbourne clubs rate lower vs an Interstate/Vic duo?

Yep. Getting the biggest figures involves dragging in those who don’t normally watch. Hence the biggest GFs are those involving Sydney.

I think the ‘big clubs’ thing only really helps when those clubs have sizeable fan bases in NSW and Qld that help boost those states.
 

Bjo187

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I think it's still massive ratings, tv ratings in general started going down significantly the last 2 or 3 years.
 

Our Game

Club Legend
Sep 30, 2014
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3,812,000 (Metro 2,979,000 Regional 833,000)
The 2020 audience is well up on 2019 when 2,939,000 tuned in with 2,197,000 in metro markets. 2020 is the biggest AFL Grand Final audience since 2016 when 4,121,000 were watching Western Bulldogs defeat Sydney Swans.

TV ratings breakdown by market:
Sydney
413,000
Melbourne 1,583,000
Brisbane 383,000
Adelaide 265,000
Perth 335,000

Queensland 141,000
Northern NSW 131,000
Southern NSW 120,000
Victoria 260,000
Tasmania 98,000
Western Australia 82,000

Great results in Sydney and Brisbane!

I doubt the NRL will get anywhere near these figures tonight.Melbourne because of the Storm will be reasonable but Perth and Adelaide will drag them down

To put this in context the next biggest rating show yesterday after 4 GF shows is Seven News at 5th spot on 1,017,000

This is a very good result for the AFL as overall FTA TV ratings have been dropping for some time now.None of the big Blockbuster shows get the ratings they did a few years back!

I expect the the GF will go to a twilight match (maybe a 5.30 pm start) from next season onwards after this excellent result!.
 
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