Business/Advertisers Prefer the AFL - Australia's Game
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:39 pm
No surprises here. 'Australia's Game' dominating as usual. 
Finals fever means profit rush
Updated Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:17pm AEST
Two grand finals on one weekend will offer a bonanza for many businesses, from pubs and gaming to hotels and advertising.
Emily Stewart
Source: The Business | Duration: 2min 27sec
TICKY FULLERTON, PRESENTER: Footy fever is sweeping Melbourne and Sydney.
The Hawks are taking on the Swans in the AFL - go the Swannies! - and the Bulldogs are butting heads with the Storm in the league.
But off the field it's a boon for business, with companies getting in on the action from the big games.
Emily Stewart reports.
EMILY STEWART, REPORTER: The Swans are flying south and the Melbourne Storm are blowing into Sydney, kicking big goals for the economy.
TIM HAMPTON, SENIOR ECONOMIST, BIS SHRAPNEL: You've got people staying in hotels. They go out for lunch beforehand, dinner afterwards, breakfast the next day.
EMILY STEWART: But if you were hoping to get a last-minute flight to either Sydney or Melbourne, you'll be paying top dollar. It's a profitable time for the hospitality industry too.
RICHARD MUNRO, CEO, ACCOMODATION ASSOC. OF AUST: Particularly around Olympic Park and around the MCG, the hotels are practically full, but there's still some rooms left and - but they're going obviously at pretty premium rates.
EMILY STEWART: Around 100,000 people are flocking to the AFL Grand Final on Saturday.
Ticket prices at the G have surged on last year. Standing room only will set you back $180 and the premium seats are up a third to almost $400.
Corporate boxes run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
League fans are shelling out up to $200 for Sunday's big game at ANZ stadium, a corporate box costing up to $26,000.
For the millions that can't be there, they'll watch the finals on television, every 30-second slot a boon for advertisers.
MARK PEJIC, CEO, MEDIACOM: The AFL Grand Final is in the vicinity of $50,000 for a spot in Melbourne and $100,000 in - on a national basis. And the cost of a national NRL spot is somewhat lower at around about $70,000 or $80,000.
EMILY STEWART: And those costs are only going to increase.
MARK PEJIC: If you think about what has happened in recent times with the acquisition of rights and the moneys that the networks have spent, in particular Seven and Nine, in keeping the AFL and NRL respectively, they're going to have to get some return.
EMILY STEWART: Punters too are hoping to get a return. Tabcorp says around $14 million will be splurged on both codes this weekend.
So whatever the results, many businesses feel they've already had a win.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-27/f ... n=business
