2024 Financial Reporting

[Rob]

That's the furthest thing from the truth. Crowd numbers, merch numbers and membership numbers pale in comparison to the money the broadcasters put into the game.

Utter garbage.

 

[hampton]

Utter garbage.

How is it garbage when tv rights would account for 60% or more of the total revenue generated by the game?

 

[Bjo187]

How is it garbage when tv rights would account for 60% or more of the total revenue generated by the game?

That’s about 60% of AFL head office’s $1 billion annual revenue. It excludes the clubs, which collectively generate another $1 billion, though around a quarter of each club’s income comes from AFL distributions. So, in total, it’s closer to $600 million out of the industry’s $2 billion (minus distributions) annual revenue I think.

 

[The Educator]

How is it garbage when tv rights would account for 60% or more of the total revenue generated by the game?

You might be confusing the AFL with the NRL?

AFL distributions represenet about 35% of AFL club revenues....TV is probably 25% of total revenues at most

The AFL and clubs top 1.944b in Revenue for 2024 - SportsIndustryAU

With all AFL clubs now reporting in for the year, its time to take a look at the goodies contained in their annual reports.

footyindustry.com

 

[GenericUsername202]

You might be confusing the AFL with the NRL?

AFL distributions represenet about 35% of AFL club revenues....TV is probably 25% of total revenues at most

The AFL and clubs top 1.944b in Revenue for 2024 - SportsIndustryAU

With all AFL clubs now reporting in for the year, its time to take a look at the goodies contained in their annual reports.

footyindustry.com

Sponsorship is predicated on TV broadcast rights. Youi aren't paying the lions millions to have their logo plastered on the Gabba, likewise Emirates aren't paying collingwood millions for the same reason. AFL tv rights is the largest single entity that contribute to the games income, likewise, it also creates a snowball effect. Without TV rights, you don't get sponsorship and so on. Rob's comment was ignorant, because anyone who knows anything about sporting codes (not even the AFL) recognises that TV > everything. That's why we have thursday night football. It has a negative effect on crowds, but sponsors and tv networks want it.

 

[hampton]

Anyone that thinks it’s merch or crowds that drive the significant revenues in afl clearly has no idea about the business of sport.

 

[Angus Young]

lol... we got some new ones on board

 

[Bjo187]

Anyone that thinks it’s merch or crowds that drive the significant revenues in afl clearly has no idea about the business of sport.

Anyone that gets corrected and doubles down clearly has no idea. I agree the tv rights are most important coz of the flow on effects, but you indicated they alone bring in the most money to the sport, which is incorrect. It's a whole combination of things attendance, sponsorship, merchandise, marvel stadium ownership, betting, radio rights, pokies at clubs etc.

 

[The_Wookie]

Sponsorship is predicated on TV broadcast rights.

It is NOT solely or even mostly predicated on TV broadcast rights, but on percieved engagement.

Every survey, other than Oztam, puts the AFL far ahead in this regard.

Without TV rights, you don't get sponsorship and so on.

Thats nonsense. You might not get as much, but 8 million attendees, 1.4m members and 1.5m participants is a crap load of engaged people.

Rob's comment was ignorant, because anyone who knows anything about sporting codes (not even the AFL) recognises that TV > everything.

Your comments have a fair amount of ignorance in them. while it might be true of most sporting codes - partic where codes like the NRL are absolutely nailed to TV ratings and their income, its not entirely true of the AFL

TV rights income is about 47% of income on average since 2012. Last year Commercial Operations beat it for revenue.


However thats 46% of leage revenue at HQ only - TV rights was only 23% of revenue across the league and clubs.

Last year the clubs generated more from membership and attendance than they did from the league distribution, and sponsorship/fundraising wasnt far behind. Thats without AFL gate for the finals, and AFL membership (another 65k+ people) and part of the Commercial operations revenue.

That's why we have thursday night football. It has a negative effect on crowds, but sponsors and tv networks want it.

Its not even having a negative effect on crowds, people just want it to because Saturday FTa went away.

 

[The_Wookie]

Anyone that thinks it’s merch or crowds that drive the significant revenues in afl clearly has no idea about the business of sport.

And anyone that thinks they dont, doesnt belong in an AFL industry forum, also writing off $430m in club revenue alone (32%). The AFL generated 29m from Medallion club members at Marvel, and an unknown amount from 65,000 AFL members, and finals gate reciepts.

thats just being willfully ignorant.

 

[hampton]

And anyone that thinks they dont, doesnt belong in an AFL industry forum, also writing off $430m in club revenue alone (32%). The AFL generated 29m from Medallion club members at Marvel, and an unknown amount from 65,000 AFL members, and finals gate reciepts.

thats just being willfully ignorant.

So… still at least 50% revenue directly from media.

But really all other revenues are indirectly impacted if there’s impacts to the tv dollar too.

 

[The_Wookie]

So… still at least 50% revenue directly from media.

Try again - did the maths on that for you guys already.

Its 23% across the league. 28% across the clubs.

• AFL distribution 28% (includes tv rights)
• Gate/Members 29%
• Sponsorship 23%
• Merchandise 3%
• Other 17% (pokies, finance and other non football)

But really all other revenues are indirectly impacted if there’s impacts to the tv dollar too.

Crowds and memberships arent impacted by tv.

 

[The Tilt]

Try again - did the maths on that for you guys already.

Its 23% across the league. 28% across the clubs.

• AFL distribution 28% (includes tv rights)
• Gate/Members 29%
• Sponsorship 23%
• Merchandise 3%
• Other 17% (pokies, finance and other non football)

Crowds and memberships arent impacted by tv.

Plus, the reverse is true: TV revenue is impacted by attendances. Sports with large crowds/good atmosphere make for a better TV spectacle, thereby increasing the value of the rights. Hence during the pandemic they added canned crowd noise to the TV broadcasts.

Also, the AFL own the Docklands because of the massive attendances that were guaranteed when it was first built. The claim that crowds aren't a significant driver of finances is absurd.

 

[The_Wookie]

Plus, the reverse is true: TV revenue is impacted by attendances. Sports with large crowds/good atmosphere make for a better TV spectacle, thereby increasing the value of the rights. Hence during the pandemic they added canned crowd noise to the TV broadcasts.

I surveyed this on twitter a while back

 

[Rob]

How is it garbage when tv rights would account for 60% or more of the total revenue generated by the game?

You made that figure up.

Matchday income for most clubs would be far more significant than TV rights. Grand final day alone the AFL would pull something close to $50 million, nearly 10% of their total TV rights income.

Not suggesting TV rights aren't significant, but match day receipts (including memberships and corporate facilities) for the AFL and it's clubs would raise more money overall. It's very different to the NRL.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

You made that figure up.

Matchday income for most clubs would be far more significant than TV rights. Grand final day alone the AFL would pull something close to $50 million, nearly 10% of their total TV rights income.

Not suggesting TV rights aren't significant, but match day receipts (including memberships and corporate facilities) for the AFL and it's clubs would raise more money overall. It's very different to the NRL.

Spot on.

In 2024, Broadcasting and AFL media revenue was $459m of AFL parent company's revenue of $899m.

Then when you add $80m revenue from Docklands and an estimated $40m+ from Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Ltd - a 50% owned subsidiary corporate body subject to income tax based on the applicable income tax rate for Australia, with sports betting companies and approx $20m revenue from Champion Data and its 100% subsidiaries of several state and territory leagues, it's $459m out of the consolidated group's $1,039m revenue, shows its less than 50%.

Membership for 18 clubs and matchday revenue from general public the 18 clubs collect, is less than what the broadcasting figure is. I did a calculation for everything the 18 clubs disclosed that would fall into this category and it was $374m in 2023 and broadcast revenue in 2023 was $444m. But corporate matchday revenue is harder to ascertain and if you include corporate boxes as well as functions and advertising and signage its probably $120m+ of the $301m, I calculated as corporate revenue for the 18 clubs in 2023.

 

[hampton]

Plus, the reverse is true: TV revenue is impacted by attendances. Sports with large crowds/good atmosphere make for a better TV spectacle, thereby increasing the value of the rights. Hence during the pandemic they added canned crowd noise to the TV broadcasts.

Also, the AFL own the Docklands because of the massive attendances that were guaranteed when it was first built. The claim that crowds aren't a significant driver of finances is absurd.

Don't think so. If so NRL for example wouldn't be on par or ahead of AFL when it comes to TV viewership, as it get's half the crowds of AFL in general.

IMO the AFL experience is definitely enhanced by a bigger crowd, watching an AFL game in covid was testamount to that. Just dreadful without the atmosphere of a crowd to create a spectacle. AFL and large crowds go hand in hand. Less important with other sports.

 

[hampton]

Try again - did the maths on that for you guys already.

Its 23% across the league. 28% across the clubs.

• AFL distribution 28% (includes tv rights)
• Gate/Members 29%
• Sponsorship 23%
• Merchandise 3%
• Other 17% (pokies, finance and other non football)

Crowds and memberships arent impacted by tv.

This is a false picture.

Just like any business there is a conversion funnel, where TV is at the top of the funnel. The more general viewers, the more TV money comes in. The more viewers and TV money, the more advertising. The more advertising, the more promos. The more promos, the more likely to convert casual viewers into engaged fans. The more advertising and fans, the more sponsors pay and the more merch gets sold due to enhanced visiblility. The more engaged fans with merch and promos, the higher the attendance.

You're making it sound like removing 23% of the TV money then the AFL business would still retain 77% of it's revenue which is completely false.

Whether we like it or not, and I know most of us don't, the game is heavily reliant on TV money. A lot more than '23%'.

Everything is dependant and will grow or shrink based on that TV money.

 

[The_Wookie]

This is a false picture.

And every post youve made on this board is demonstrably unsupported by any data.

To the point where im not even going to address it.

 

[qlderlions]

The_Wookie . Not trying to steal Dave10's thunder here - but is it time to start a 2025 Financial Reporting Thread? First cab off the rank (Demons) has been published. Report is here, but looks like the link is embargoed until 1st of December, AGM is the 16th of December.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1932463/2025%20Annual%20Financial%20Report

https://resources.melbournefc.com.au/aflc-melb/document/2025/11/20/235d6dcd-b09f-42d7-9b5d-5dd55424c091/MFC-Notice-of-Annual-General-Meeting-2025-.pdf

2025 Financial Result

Following a year of significant change, Melbourne Football Club has announced an operating loss of $200,000 for the 2025 financial year.

www.melbournefc.com.au

 

[The Educator]

The_Wookie . Not trying to steal Dave10's thunder here - but is it time to start a 2025 Financial Reporting Thread? First cab off the rank (Demons) has been published. Report is here, but looks like the link is embargoed until 1st of December, AGM is the 16th of December.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1932463/2025%20Annual%20Financial%20Report

https://resources.melbournefc.com.au/aflc-melb/document/2025/11/20/235d6dcd-b09f-42d7-9b5d-5dd55424c091/MFC-Notice-of-Annual-General-Meeting-2025-.pdf

2025 Financial Result

Following a year of significant change, Melbourne Football Club has announced an operating loss of $200,000 for the 2025 financial year.

www.melbournefc.com.au

There be one here https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/2025-annual-reports.1403732/

 

[The_Wookie]

we have a 2025 thread