Super League Grand Final draws improving TV audience

[josie andrews]

The initial portion of viewing figures for the Super League Grand Final between Wigan Warriors and Hull KR have been revealed.

Figures reported by Rugby League On TV have shown that an average audience of 269,000 watched the showpiece event which Wigan Warriors won 9-2.

Those figures are only for Sky Sports Main Event, the lead channel to broadcast the game, with the figures from Sky Sports’ new streaming service Sky Sports+ yet to be revealed.

It’s unclear how many will utilise Sky Sports+ over the Main Event channel but it will likely be a smaller figure, but enough to represent an increase in audience from 2023.

The 2023 Grand Final drew in a TV audience of 267,000 per rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads, meaning the 2024 clash has recorded a minor increase before the Sky Sports+ figures are even accounted for.

It was also revealed that the peak audience this year came in at 373,000 with an audience share of 2.3%. That peak was marginally smaller than the 2023 total of 377,000.


The figures have remained relatively stagnant and despite the expected boost when the Super League+ figures are confirmed, there is a worrying trend of spiralling viewing figures compared to Super League Grand Finals of recent memory.

As part of rugbyleaguehub.com’s report, it was revealed that 2022 drew an average audience of 400,000, 2021 recorded 300,000 and the infamous 2020 Grand Final at the KCOM recorded approximately 400,000 as well.

All of those figures highlight the marked decrease in the 2023 and 2024 figures.

One positive that can be taken from the 2024 Super League Grand Final is that the attendance was significantly up with over 68,000 in the crowd at Old Trafford.

That figure marked the highest since the 2017 Grand Final and represented an increase of 10,000 spectators, which correlates with the fact Hull KR replaced Catalans Dragons in the showpiece event.

https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/super-le ... nce-98108/

[Caboosegg]

And here we have the problem with RL media

Not even a full 2 days later and they want to start looking for negatives.

This article could provide the same info positively if the chose, focus on the number in the stadium then add the viewing figures at the end.

I'm also not surprised, sky is a luxury people have cut back on them. There's also people like me who don't watch other sports,.why would I pay for sky

[Ipinwigan]

There's also people like me who don't watch other sports,.why would I pay for sky
[/quote]

Sky need to start charing for individual sports, so they could charge £30 per month for football and £1 per month for Super League, because that's about how much they pay the RL for it.

[fozzie58]

I’m in the same boat 30 quid just for the rugby is a lot of money why so I binned it will reasses it next season but for one sport it’s a lot of money

[moto748]

Plenty of non-Sky Sports subscribers would have bought a day-pass on NowTV. Are they counted? I doubt it.

[Wiganer Ted]

Can't link but the site "loverugbyleague" has an article saying the complete viewing figures they are 40% up on last year.
That's good !

[josie andrews]

Can't link but the site "loverugbyleague" has an article saying the complete viewing figures they are 40% up on last year.
That's good !

Is this the article Ted?

The Super League Grand Final attracted an average audience of 374,000: a rise of almost 40 per cent from last year, Love Rugby League has learned.

Wigan Warriors defeated Hull KR 9-2 on Saturday evening at Old Trafford to retain the title they won 12 months ago, as well as complete an unprecedented and historic quadruple.


https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/su ... s-revealed

[Mike]

I fixed the title of this thread then to be less negative!

[Wiganer Ted]

Can't link but the site "loverugbyleague" has an article saying the complete viewing figures they are 40% up on last year.
That's good !

Is this the article Ted?

The Super League Grand Final attracted an average audience of 374,000: a rise of almost 40 per cent from last year, Love Rugby League has learned.

Wigan Warriors defeated Hull KR 9-2 on Saturday evening at Old Trafford to retain the title they won 12 months ago, as well as complete an unprecedented and historic quadruple.


https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/su ... s-revealed

Yes Josie, that's the one, thank you.

[josie andrews]

Hull KR's Grand Final is third-most watched Super League game ever on Sky with number disclosed

Average audience of 414,000 for Sky Sports Plus and Main Event was 53 per cent up on figure for 2023 Grand Final

Hull Kingston Rovers' 2024 Grand Final against Wigan Warriors was the third most watched Super League game ever on Sky Sports.

The combined audience on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Plus brought in a 414,000 average with a 459,000 peak, as Wigan secured a 9-2 victory at Old Trafford. The only games that had higher average viewing figures were the 2019 Grand Final when St Helens defeated Salford (508,000) and the 2022 Grand Final when St Helens defeated Leeds Rhinos (424,000). Including the highlights that were on BBC of the 2024 Grand Final would make this year the most-watched Grand Final.

The audience comes at the end of a season in which Sky broadcast every Super League game - and the BBC deal has also contributed significantly to the success of the play-offs.

The average 2024 Grand Final audience figure for Sky was 53 per cent up on the 2023 Grand Final's total, when Wigan defeated Catalans by a margin of 10-2 at Manchester United's home ground. The peak was 41 per cent higher than last year's Grand Final.

The play-offs including the Grand Final had a cumulative audience of 2.3 million on Sky Sports and BBC Sport. Leigh beat Salford then Warrington defeated St Helens in a classic during the eliminators, before Hull KR edged out Warrington in one semi-final and Wigan thrashed Leigh in the other semi-final.

During the play-offs, there were 37 million impressions on social, which was a 71 per cent increase on 2023 - and the 1.2 million engagements on social represented a 91 per cent increase on 2023. There were 25 million video views on social, which was a 149 per cent increase on 2023.

Discussing the Grand Final, three-times winner Sam Tomkins was asked what makes the occasion special, and he said on Sky Sports: "I think it's the atmosphere that's created in a great stadium (Old Trafford). It is the night that you dream of from back in November last year when players started training. You go through some tough, gruelling days in pre-season and it's all to end ultimately in the Grand Final in October."

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... rd-9640901