Yeah you are way off there Marto.
Definitely still an appetite in NZ (see Warriors) and Australia for regularly attending live sport.
A big part of it is yes, if you are a AFL or league fan you are week in week out watching the world's best players in your code. The A League will never have that to market, but things can still be better than they are.
My memories of living in Melbourne is attending an AFL game (especially on a Sunday) is often a real family thing. Mum, Dad & the kids. The AFL market the hell out kids memberships and the like. Shower the juniors with all sorts of free merch. And a sport that always done pretty well with it's female fans. Helps when you have a huge media rights deal to spend.
https://www.theticketingbusiness.com/2025/03/afl-sees-crowd-records-tumble-during-2025-opening-round/
The Australian Football League (AFL) smashed its single round attendance record at the start of the new 2025 season, with an average of almost 50,000 fans at each game.
https://www.nrl.com/news/2025/04/23/global-league-nrl-super-league-crowd-records-smashed/
Headlined by the largest crowd for a standalone regular season fixture of 65,305 at Accor Stadium for Friday's Bulldogs-Rabbitohs clash, Round 7 of the NRL was the most attended round of matches in premiership history.
Definitely still an appetite in NZ (see Warriors) and Australia for regularly attending live sport.
A big part of it is yes, if you are a AFL or league fan you are week in week out watching the world's best players in your code. The A League will never have that to market, but things can still be better than they are.
My memories of living in Melbourne is attending an AFL game (especially on a Sunday) is often a real family thing. Mum, Dad & the kids. The AFL market the hell out kids memberships and the like. Shower the juniors with all sorts of free merch. And a sport that always done pretty well with it's female fans. Helps when you have a huge media rights deal to spend.
https://www.theticketingbusiness.com/2025/03/afl-sees-crowd-records-tumble-during-2025-opening-round/
The Australian Football League (AFL) smashed its single round attendance record at the start of the new 2025 season, with an average of almost 50,000 fans at each game.
https://www.nrl.com/news/2025/04/23/global-league-nrl-super-league-crowd-records-smashed/
Headlined by the largest crowd for a standalone regular season fixture of 65,305 at Accor Stadium for Friday's Bulldogs-Rabbitohs clash, Round 7 of the NRL was the most attended round of matches in premiership history.
The record attendances come ahead of anticipated sell-out of Friday's ANZAC Day clashes in Sydney, Melbourne and Christchurch, and next week's Magic Round in Brisbane.