Play Nice 2022 AFL/AFLW Crowds/TV Ratings/Stream thread

[The_Wookie]

Laugh how people actually think 58,000 was a poor crowd. Again two reasons why it was poor…….1. Wednesday night 2. Bulldogs supporter don’t turn up to away games very similar to north and saint kilda as they have a very small mcc and afl membership base. If Melbourne or the afl wanted a 70,000 plus crowd on a Wednesday night they needed to draw Melbourne playing Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond as they can draw 30,000 on a regular basis for away games especially in round 1

They could have let dogs members in free and really gone for it

 

[Benzay]

Crowd was massively pro-Melbourne (as you would expect of course), just look at how sparsely populated the Dogs cheersquad end was. I wasn't really that hyped for the Grand Final rematch and I doubt Dogs fans were either. Give me a Saturday arvo round 1 game against Freo at the G any day.

MCC and reserved seat MFC members areas were basically full. GA definitely less populated than I expected and AFL members a massive let down for a Melbourne game as usual.

Covid hesitancy is still a massive factor. Add Wednesday with work/school the next day and the crowd makes complete sense. This game on a Wednesday 3 years ago probably gets 65k, play it on a Friday 3 years ago and it probably gets 75k.

 

[BobbyMorri]

Its Wednesday on a normal week.

Heck, I nearly forgot it was on. Wednesday doesn't scream footy night.

 

[Underarm]

Considering it is a Wednesday night it was a great crowd. If it was a Friday night 70,000 would of turned up. Also got to remember bulldogs don’t turn up in huge numbers for an away game. Melbourne came out in force looked like they had 40,000 at the game

Carlton v Richmond should get 85,000

Geelong v Essendon should expect 65,000

Carlton/Richmond isn't getting close to 85k, even without the effect of Covid.

Carlton home game, with both sides missing the 8, where the game isn't the first of the season, plus Covid. Also a ticketing SNAFU with the AFL members and the fact that all 10 Melbourne clubs are in Melbourne this weekend.

Somewhere in the 70s is more likely.

 

[CarnTheScray]

Any idea if there was good away support for the Bulldogs or was it very pro Melbourne?

Pro Melbourne. We had a few on level 4 in the Ponsford stand but we had way more vs Richmond last year, our cheer squad end was packed in that game.

Don’t blame us for not coming in force tbh. Wednesday away game vs a team that kicked our arse.

 

[Frank Grimes]

Agree.

The Wednesday night schedule never made sense to me. Just didn't think it would work the way the AFL was hoping, and it's only been tried on 3 occasions before tonight.

Round 6 2019 = Richmond vs Melbourne (72,704)
Round 1 2000 = Richmond vs Melbourne (41,648)
Round 7 1996 = Essendon vs Geelong (75,632)

Note that the Round 6 2019 would have been ANZAC eve which means public holiday the next day.

 

[manicmagpie]

Note that the Round 6 2019 would have been ANZAC eve which means public holiday the next day.

The Round 7 1996 game was the centenary of the VFL/AFL as well.

Which of course was held 100 99 years to the day after the first round of matches.

 

[dave10]

Considering it is a Wednesday night it was a great crowd. If it was a Friday night 70,000 would of turned up. Also got to remember bulldogs don’t turn up in huge numbers for an away game. Melbourne came out in force looked like they had 40,000 at the game

Carlton v Richmond should get 85,000

Geelong v Essendon should expect 65,000

Under normal circumstances I agree with those estimates. I’m still not convinced the game hadn’t got an attendance challenge that will take time to resolve itself.

 

[nat013]

Ratings are in:

548,000 metro viewers for Seven

Sydney	Melbourne	Brisbane	Adelaide	Perth
41,000	333,000	34,000	79,000	60,000

268,000 viewers on Fox Footy

 

[MattF185]

Ratings are in:

548,000 metro viewers for Seven

Sydney	Melbourne	Brisbane	Adelaide	Perth
41,000	333,000	34,000	79,000	60,000

268,000 viewers on Fox Footy

Safe to say that’s the last ever Wednesday night match.

 

[CarnTheScray]

Yep Wednesday night is a fail. Think the crowd was good though, especially for two clubs with sub 50k membership.

Wish it was on the Friday night but oh well, the AFL looks like it wants 45-50k minimum for every vic match this week rather than some getting 60-70+ and some getting 30k.

 

[Rob]

I don't think the TV numbers were that bad. 2 small clubs, not even prime time in Perth. But I'm guessing the league will be disappointed because they're pretty much average Friday night numbers.

 

[The_Wookie]

Thursday, 17 March 2022

AFL season opener reaches 2.26 million

Audience up 9% on 2021 season average

The 2022 AFL Premiership Season scored high on the Seven Network last night, with the Grand Final rematch between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs reaching 2.26 million viewers nationally.

The epic clash peaked at 1.09 million viewers across Australia, with the match averaging 734,000 viewers, up 9% on the 2021 AFL series average.

Broadcast live and free on Channel 7 and 7mate, Melbourne’s 26-point win dominated TV viewing in their home town last night – ranking as the #1 program in Melbourne in total people, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s – and was up a strong 26% in Sydney on the 2021 season opener.

Played in front of a 58,000-strong crowd at the MCG, the blockbuster game helped Channel 7 grow its overnight audience in 25 to 54s by a massive 64% year-on-year and by 30% in total people.

Seven’s coverage captured 73% of the overall TV audience for last night’s game, including 75% of all viewers in Melbourne and 80% in Adelaide.

The Front Bar returned to normal programming straight after the match to cover the exciting clash, averaging 469,000 viewers, up 36% year-on-year.

Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, Lewis Martin, said: “After a record-breaking 2021 AFL Grand Final – the biggest television program last year – we’re thrilled to once again share Australia’s number one winter sport with millions of Australians, live and free on Seven.

“Seven’s prime time coverage, underpinned by our expert commentary and insights, delivered fresh perspective on the match and transported fans to the heart of the action.

“For the first time in a long time, we heard the roar of a footy-hungry Melbourne and Western Bulldogs crowd. The game injected new life into the hearts of Melburnians, and I can’t wait to see how they react tonight when we return to the MCG to witness the new-look Blues take on Richmond, broadcast live and free on Seven,” he said.

 

[jwint43]

Wednesday Night and the game starts at 4:10pm means you basically lose your Perth audience. The crowd I thought could push 60k, but the 80k predictions being thrown around were laughable

 

[The_Wookie]

Wednesday Night and the game starts at 4:10pm means you basically lose your Perth audience. The crowd I thought could push 60k, but the 80k predictions being thrown around were laughable

audience for perth went fdrom 78k for last years Thurs opener to 60k on 7, probably not even cause for concern. Sydney jumping from 32 to 41k being promoted by 7.

 

[The_Wookie]

2022 - Wed - Dogs/Dees - 1.002m
2021 - Thu - Tigers/Blues - 1.128m
2020 - Thu - Tigers/Blues - 1.363m
2019 - Thu - Tigers/Blues - 1.231m
2018 - Thu - Tigers/Blues - 1.137m
2017 - Thu - Tigers/Blues - 1.061m
2016 - Thu - Tigers/Blues - 1.104m
2015 - Thu - Tigers/Blues - 1.115m
2014 - Fri - Pies/Dockers - 1.022m
2013 - Fri - Crows/Bombers - 968k + ? regionals
2012 - Sat - Giants/Swans - 940k + ? regionals

Prior to this Fox didnt have simulcast rights, from 2007-2011 inclusive only 4 exclusive games per week + replay rights for the rest.

 

[CarnTheScray]

I still think there is hesitancy to go to the games. Think it is possible tonight will get under 80k.

 

[Kangapirate]

audience for perth went fdrom 78k for last years Thurs opener to 60k on 7, probably not even cause for concern. Sydney jumping from 32 to 41k being promoted by 7.

As I said last night I think Gill and the media were hyping it as a general “Melbourne coming back to life” match and thought it would be a monster crowd, in the buildup throughout the week the media were carrying on like the MCG had been empty for 2 years. Pretty much everyone i know went to matches last year before the lockdowns.

They conveniently forget that 80,000 were at the Anzac day match last year.

 

[Bjo187]

I actually think they might be wasting a lot of money on trying to get people back to games and trying to get participation back to pre covid levels. I think as long as covid is floating around at decent numbers and the risk of seasons being interrupted is still around, a percentage of people will prefer to take the conservative route.

 

[dave10]

I actually think they might be wasting a lot of money on trying to get people back to games and trying to get participation back to pre covid levels. I think as long as covid is floating around at decent numbers and the risk of seasons being interrupted is still around, a percentage of people will prefer to take the conservative route.

Especially with the mainstream media going with an “increase in cases” as the leading news (TV / radio). Clearly there’s lots of commercial gain by these media companies to keep up the ‘fear’ which clearly converts to clicks, ears and eyeballs to their platforms. Such reporting results in disproportionate levels of community fear broadly and reduced attendances at sporting fixtures.

 

[RedV3x]

As I said last night I think Gill and the media were hyping it as a general “Melbourne coming back to life” match and thought it would be a monster crowd,

In fact. it was a record crowd for those two clubs. Well done.

Perth was expected starting at 4pm mid week and forcing people to switch channels at half-time.

 

[RedV3x]

I actually think they might be wasting a lot of money on trying to get people back to games and trying to get participation back to pre covid levels.

Don't you think that is a good reason to try harder ?

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[Bjo187]

Don't you think that is a good reason to try harder ?

If it were one year yes but they are losing significant amounts of money 2020/2021 trying to get people back to thinking everything is normal. I would save that money for now then pour that extra cash into a proper relaunch when covid is hopefully a distant memory in a couple of years time.

 

[The_Wookie]