WNBA - a preview of the AFLW?

[Bunk Moreland]

Just an interesting video. The WNBA has been operating since the mid-90s, and things have come to a head recently with the players refusing the CBA and opting out.



The NBA claims the money isn’t in the league and they cannot make it work profitably - it’s never made money and there’s no current forecast for it to do so - they can’t draw fans despite low ticket prices etc.

The players have professional obligations and thus push for higher wages, yet the money just isn’t there.

It’s perhaps an interesting view for the AFLW, which is still in its formative years. There was dispute over how the fixture would look in 2019, with the AFL not keen for additional games and some players accusing them of running a novelty tournament.

Perhaps the AFL have it right in terms of being very careful with moving it into a longer season etc.

I still think increasing the number of AFLW teams was a big mistake and there is absolutely no reason or logic for doing it so quickly.

Stadiums seem a big issue, with many WNBA teams continuing for many years to play in the large, expensive stadiums of their NBA counterparts. The AFL might have this right and should ensure all AFLW teams have a high-quality state league-sized ground to play at, to keep costs down.

 

[NoobPie]

Whether or not you think it is the right thing to do, there is/was clear logic in aflw expansion

The afl club support is very very tribal. Each new team brings a passionate supporter base with them. Surely this is obvious?

 

[NoobPie]

Whether or not you think it is the right thing to do, there is/was clear logic in aflw expansion

The afl club support is very very tribal. Each new team brings a passionate supporter base with them. Surely this is obvious?

 

[NoobPie]

Whether or not you think it is the right thing to do, there is/was clear logic in aflw expansion

The afl club support is very very tribal. Each new team brings a passionate supporter base with them. Surely this is obvious?

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Just an interesting video. The WNBA has been operating since the mid-90s, and things have come to a head recently with the players refusing the CBA and opting out.



The NBA claims the money isn’t in the league and they cannot make it work profitably - it’s never made money and there’s no current forecast for it to do so - they can’t draw fans despite low ticket prices etc.

The players have professional obligations and thus push for higher wages, yet the money just isn’t there.

It’s perhaps an interesting view for the AFLW, which is still in its formative years. There was dispute over how the fixture would look in 2019, with the AFL not keen for additional games and some players accusing them of running a novelty tournament.

Perhaps the AFL have it right in terms of being very careful with moving it into a longer season etc.

I still think increasing the number of AFLW teams was a big mistake and there is absolutely no reason or logic for doing it so quickly.

Stadiums seem a big issue, with many WNBA teams continuing for many years to play in the large, expensive stadiums of their NBA counterparts. The AFL might have this right and should ensure all AFLW teams have a high-quality state league-sized ground to play at, to keep costs down.

Grounds is interesting. We play at Manuka in Canberra every year, although the NEAFL side plays at other grounds in Canberra.

We play most games in Sydney at Blacktown. It's by far the best 2nd tier ground in Sydney. I believe we have a good deal at Spotless and the Olympic Park precinct accessibility could only be good news for crowds.

Whether it's just the numbers or whether it's not making waves to choose Blacktown I'm not sure. There's been a fair investment there to upgrade it and our NEAFL side plays at Spotless in early curtain raisers a lot. The club certainly doesn't want to discourage the development of oval grounds in the Western Suburbs.

I do note Geelong will enter the comp and play at the Cattery next year, interesting how that will affect crowds. There must be a level of comfort for some fans in a familiar ground.

 

[Teen Wolf]

The WNBA losing money attracts attention in America because it runs counter to their ruthless bottom-line culture in professional sports. Apply the same mentality over here and automatically it's see ya later Suns, Giants, Lions, St Kilda, North Melbourne, Sheffield Shield, the Matildas and ABC Grandstand. Most of us understand the benefits of those entities outweigh the cost (especially in the long term).

There was dispute over how the fixture would look in 2019, with the AFL not keen for additional games and some players accusing them of running a novelty tournament.

That shitstorm wasn't about additional games, it was in response to suggestions the AFL would shorten the season to five H&A rounds.

I still think increasing the number of AFLW teams was a big mistake and there is absolutely no reason or logic for doing it so quickly.

Other than Port, every club would kill to have an AFLW team tomorrow. There's one reason. We could get into stuff like participation numbers, development pathways and government funding--all things only boosted by the league's expansion plans--but it sounds like your mind is made up so not sure there's any point.

 

[Gigantor]

Slowly does it was probably the right call by the AFL. We still haven't heard whether the AFLW is making any money out of TV rights, you'd have to think the answer is no.

 

[kid_a]

Whether or not you think it is the right thing to do, there is/was clear logic in aflw expansion

The afl club support is very very tribal. Each new team brings a passionate supporter base with them. Surely this is obvious?

Yep good points.

That will be a very big saving grace for the AFLW, the fact each of the new teams is just another department of already existing clubs with huge support (much of which comes from women themselves).

Slowly but surely should be the route the AFL take with this comp. I actually think theyre doing a decent job of it atm, keeping the season short to keep travel and logistical costs down, and by giving free entry to games keeps spectator numbers decent.

As long as the players understand that they are in a supply and demand industry, and dont just push to be paid crazy money knowing that their product isnt making enough for those payments to be justified or viable as it stands now (and probably will be for at least the forseeable future) then I dont see the AFLW collapsing or being such a heavy financial burden like the WNBA has become.

 

[kid_a]

The players have to know that for the greater good of womens footy and the future generations of female players, that right now they cant just push for full professionalism. First the product has to built, sustained and ingrained into the sporting publics view. Then as more interest, spectators and finances come its only natural the payments to players will also.

 

[telsor]

Whether or not you think it is the right thing to do, there is/was clear logic in aflw expansion

The afl club support is very very tribal. Each new team brings a passionate supporter base with them. Surely this is obvious?

There are pros and cons of attaching them to teams.
For example, it pretty much forces the league to ensure all teams get a women's team eventually (with the current geographical issues that causes).
As a Richmond fan, not having an AFLW team, that same tribal loyalty you mention makes it very tough for me to get interested in teams associated with lifelong 'enemies'.

There is also the difference 'bringing a supporter base', and actually engaging them...Akin to the surveys that show Sydney is by far the biggest AFL team in terms of people who say they support them, but in terms of *actual* support that benefits the team/club (membership, attendance, buying merch, even watching tv), they're well down the list. If a million people say they support a Collingwood AFLW team, out of tribal loyalty, but attendances are lucky to hit 10k (etc), then it doesn't mean that much in term of the strength of the comp.

 

[jatz14]

There are pros and cons of attaching them to teams.
For example, it pretty much forces the league to ensure all teams get a women's team eventually (with the current geographical issues that causes).
As a Richmond fan, not having an AFLW team, that same tribal loyalty you mention makes it very tough for me to get interested in teams associated with lifelong 'enemies'.

There is also the difference 'bringing a supporter base', and actually engaging them...Akin to the surveys that show Sydney is by far the biggest AFL team in terms of people who say they support them, but in terms of *actual* support that benefits the team/club (membership, attendance, buying merch, even watching tv), they're well down the list. If a million people say they support a Collingwood AFLW team, out of tribal loyalty, but attendances are lucky to hit 10k (etc), then it doesn't mean that much in term of the strength of the comp.

It doesn't mean that much in terms of right now, but Collingwood get to market their AFLW team to a million people on a regular basis, they have the twitter feeds, facebook pages, website hits, etc, to base a marketing campaign on. The Mandurah Makos womens footy team is not going to get 10K, and who is the base they market to, and how do they reach them? And who pays for it? Collingwood can fund their own marketing strategy, which wouldn't cost that much since they have a built in base to market to, and built in tools to market with, what do the Makos do?

 

[telsor]

New TV rights deal for AFLW...

~$2M/year, with about half the games being on FTA.

I'm not seeing a lot of pay rises coming out of that.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-13/aflw-every-match-in-next-four-years-to-be-live-on-tv

 

[jatz14]

New TV rights deal for AFLW...

~$2M/year, with about half the games being on FTA.

I'm not seeing a lot of pay rises coming out of that.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-13/aflw-every-match-in-next-four-years-to-be-live-on-tv

It's $2M for the deal, is $0.5M per year.

Still very much in the, build it and they will come phase.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[Gigantor]

It's $2M for the deal, is $0.5M per year.

Still very much in the, build it and they will come phase.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

AFL site says about $2 mill per annum.
And, Jake Niall said this to a direct question on twitter:

Jake Niall
@JakeNiallTHEAGE
New
@AFL
broadcast deal for AFLW is worth about $2.5m x 4 years from Foxtel & Seven. All games on Fox, 2 per round on Seven next year, finals on both free to air & pay.

 

[Tandy]

I just hope the women don't start/keep using the equality card for more pay. If they can be realistic about the situation like the majority of fans are with the spectacle then AFLW will succeed