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Brisbane says stop the AFL Bandwagon, I want to get off
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:06 pm
by Willis 21
Well, the bandwagon has never started in Sydney ( except for during GF week when the Swans make it every decade or so..), and now it looks like the novelty is wearing off in Brisbane...
They have had enough I think, and who can blame them?? When the team is not winning, the local interest shoots through quicker than Grim Reaper getting off a cruise ship with his Adelaide mates....
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/co ... 81,00.html
Coming off a golden era in Brisbane, we've seen a downturn this year.
According to figures released in the AFL mid-season report, Lions membership is down five per cent; Gabba attendances are down 10 per cent; and despite increased and outstanding TV coverage, ratings in Brisbane are down 16 per cent.
Officials have flagged the prospect of the Lions recording a financial loss this year, after a combined $7million profit over the past four years.
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:22 pm
by King-Eliagh
Terrible stuff but i spose its to be expected. Rugby League has always had a stranglehold on the area.
Re: Brisbane says stop the AFL Bandwagon, I want to get off
Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:01 pm
by Beaussie
Willis 21 wrote:Well, the bandwagon has never started in Sydney ( except for during GF week when the Swans make it every decade or so..), and now it looks like the novelty is wearing off in Brisbane...
They have had enough I think, and who can blame them?? When the team is not winning, the local interest shoots through quicker than Grim Reaper getting off a cruise ship with his Adelaide mates....
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/co ... 81,00.html
Coming off a golden era in Brisbane, we've seen a downturn this year.
According to figures released in the AFL mid-season report, Lions membership is down five per cent; Gabba attendances are down 10 per cent; and despite increased and outstanding TV coverage, ratings in Brisbane are down 16 per cent.
Officials have flagged the prospect of the Lions recording a financial loss this year, after a combined $7million profit over the past four years.
Yet the Lions still have a massive membership base when compared with the Broncos and furthermore still attract larger crowds than the Broncos despite the Broncos being what, 2nd on the NRL ladder, whilst the Lions languish at what, 13th on the AFL ladder?
Doesn't say much for the strength of Rugby League in Brisbane/QLD does it.
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 3:12 pm
by King-Eliagh
Rugby League as a sport has never really had a membership culture attached to it as far as I know beaussie?? Whereas for some reason AFL has.
Meh
members shmembers i say, it really doesn't tell a hell of alot when it comes to comparing interest in league vs interest in AFL. However i'd be interested to know the truth on who's been getting more crowds live at the game and on television this season..
As you know beaussie its just not possible for me to take your word on it anymore.
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 7:57 pm
by Beaussie
Lions have consistently for the past 6-7 years attracted more fans through the turnstyles than the Broncos. Game Over!!!!
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 8:46 pm
by Willis 21
Interesting comments from Big Faggy from an AFL fan that actually lives in Brisbane...
However, there's no question the locals attitude towards sport is to jump on the winning team!
Lions crowd numbers speak for themselves, and the fact that League news is on before AFL news in the sport (which didnt happen for a couple of yrs there)
Even my mates used to get together and go to Lions games, now theyr simply not interested.. the Broncos on the other hand....theyr winning
These guys are lame and I tell them all the time, but theyr not the only ones losing interest by any stretch of the imagination
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:14 am
by King-Eliagh
So the rugby league news comes on first eh? hehe thats always a solid indicator in my books.
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 1:39 pm
by Willis 21
Latest update... very funny reading.... :D
http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news ... 06144.html
[quote]Lions face $1.3m loss in dismal year
Caroline Wilson
August 3, 2006
THE Brisbane Lions' dismal season has had a drastic effect on the club's finances: it is headed towards a loss of at least $1 million in 2006, the biggest since Brisbane and Fitzroy merged 10 years ago.
The Age believes that Brisbane, one of the wealthier clubs in the AFL, will register a negative turnaround of up to $2.3 million.
Not only have Brisbane's attendances and membership fallen, television ratings in the club's home city have dropped by 16 per cent â€â€
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 2:12 pm
by Beaussie
Yet the struggling on-field Lions still average bigger crowds than their top 4 rivals in the NRL, the Broncos. What's up with that? :_<>
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:54 pm
by Willis 21
For now..
Don't forget this is a team that recently played 4 grand finals in a row.. lets see how they go when they haven't been near a grand final in 6 years like the Broncos have....
Also, apparently Lions membership has gone up from $300 last year to $400 this year tp $500 next year....
They will be dropping like flies I reckon....
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:19 pm
by King-Eliagh
I have to say willis' evidence is compelling. He's right beaussie just admit it mate
Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:06 pm
by Beaussie
Willis 21 wrote:For now..
Don't forget this is a team that recently played 4 grand finals in a row.. lets see how they go when they haven't been near a grand final in 6 years like the Broncos have....
Also, apparently Lions membership has gone up from $300 last year to $400 this year tp $500 next year....
They will be dropping like flies I reckon....
Yet even at $500 the Lions will still have triple the amount of members when compared with the Broncos.
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 4:40 pm
by Willis 21
Here is the latest update....
From the Brisbane Sunday Mail ( no link available unfortunately.. funny how the AFL tries to 'gag' unfavourable comment isn't it??
)
From today's Sunday-Mail Brisbane:
(20 August 2006)
IRONED OUT!
by Selina Steele
The Brisbanes Lions' slide down the AFL ladder has them on the nose with viewers. On free-to-air and Pay TV, Brisbane Lions' audiences have dropped by a staggering 80,000 per week.
Nationally, SBS cult cooking show The Iron Chef has at times out-rated the pride of Brisbane town. Faster than the Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai can chop, slice and dice a chinese cabbage viewers are dropping off the former AFL heavyweights.
A study of OzTam television revealed:
1) Only 70,000 Brisbane viewers tuned into last Saturday's night's Lions- Richmond telecast - a 48,000 drop from when the teams met in Round 4;
2) Nationally more people watched Paul Hogan's Crocodile Dundee (320,000) than the Lion's 82 point loss to Terry Wallace's Tigers(278,000) last Saturday night; ( Is this a record low for an AFL game... :P )
3) Nationally five times this season, The Iron Chef has outrated a Lions' game;
4) Last year's best result was 234,000 v St. Kilda in the opening round. This season the high was 169,000 for the MCG Collingwood game in Round 10;
5)Last season's low of 108,000 against St. Kilda was still 38,000 more than last week's ratings.
AFL Operating officer Ben Buckley said yeaterday:
"AFL games in Queensland this year, which are primarily centred around telecasts of the Brisbane Lions have had a drop in their audience number.
This no doubt reflects a difficult year for the club on the field in terms of wins and losses. However the AFL looks at the longer term picture...the number watching the game in Queensland are considerable further along from the number of people who watched AFL games in Queensland in 2002.
In the five year period fron 2002-2006, our TV audience in Queensland has grown by more than 50%, enabling us to really push along our development plans for the code, particularly in south-east Queensland."
Concerned at the slide in audience numbers, Lions chief Michael Bowers said it was a warning to the AFL that there was still plenty of work to be done in Queensland.
"We have been saying for quite some time that the Brisbane Lions have been able to achieve during our premiership years is not normal trading conditions," he said.
"We're concerned that the AFL might have put its glasses down as far as Queensland is concerned. We think their focus has shifted to NSW and Victorian clubs..."
The Lions are in serious trouble in my opinion... they are having a bad year, sure, but on the back of so much success over the last 5 years, the AFL must be gob smacked at such a drop off in interest in less than 1 year....
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 4:45 pm
by King-Eliagh
I agree! The lions are sinking faster than the titanic. Hahaha must be a miserable place to be at present.
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 9:31 pm
by Beaussie
No comment for obvious reasons from you Willis on the following, particularly the 50% increase in tv audiences in QLD?
AFL Operating officer Ben Buckley said yeaterday:
"AFL games in Queensland this year, which are primarily centred around telecasts of the Brisbane Lions have had a drop in their audience number.
This no doubt reflects a difficult year for the club on the field in terms of wins and losses. However the AFL looks at the longer term picture...the number watching the game in Queensland are considerable further along from the number of people who watched AFL games in Queensland in 2002.
In the five year period fron 2002-2006, our TV audience in Queensland has grown by more than 50%, enabling us to really push along our development plans for the code, particularly in south-east Queensland."