nathan_rugby wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:24 am
Have IMG come out and explained that the stadium dullness criteria is related to things looking good on tv?
I don’t really buy this argument and a few posters above have said the same.
Half full stadiums don’t look good to who? Rugby league fans watching tv?
Taken directly from the summary of the criteria
Stadium (15%)
Based on a number of factors, including facilities and utilisation, which add value to the fan and broadcast or digital viewer experience, and match or exceed competition from other sports and events.
and link to the full grading criteria when it was introduced
nathan_rugby wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:24 am
Have IMG come out and explained that the stadium dullness criteria is related to things looking good on tv?
I don’t really buy this argument and a few posters above have said the same.
Half full stadiums don’t look good to who? Rugby league fans watching tv?
It looks bad to casual viewers that we need to convert into regular watchers. If you see an event on TV with a full house it's much easier to feel that it's a meaningful event and be drawn in. If the same thing is played in a half empty stadium it just doesn't look like it's important.
I believe we (the whole game/ should be doing something with ticket prices until the majority of our matches are sell outs. But the finances of the game probably prevent that.
Wigan_forever1985 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 1:57 pm
I still think the issue with in season attendance is that outside of the top games there isnt enough riding on the regular season matches.
Leigh were 80mins off old trafford from 5th, St Helen's were golden pt away from the same position from 6th
The league just doesn't mean enough and i simply cant see how you create an incentive for the casual fan to come to a game with nothing riding on it
most the teams treat the season as a peloton and simply aim to stay in the mix
Leigh and Saints season would have been over long before the playoffs, probably 8 weeks before. So how would that incentivize attendance?
Wigan_forever1985 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 1:57 pm
I still think the issue with in season attendance is that outside of the top games there isnt enough riding on the regular season matches.
Leigh were 80mins off old trafford from 5th, St Helen's were golden pt away from the same position from 6th
The league just doesn't mean enough and i simply cant see how you create an incentive for the casual fan to come to a game with nothing riding on it
most the teams treat the season as a peloton and simply aim to stay in the mix
Leigh and Saints season would have been over long before the playoffs, probably 8 weeks before. So how would that incentivize attendance?
I understand your point but it doesnt effect football crowds - i know its a better followed sport but still
The problem with the playoffs is you can attend those games as they are the only ones that matter.
Plus if youre a saints fan and your team are out the running yet you can stop wigan or wire from winning that becomes an incentive
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure
moto748 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 8:28 pm
Nobody worries when the Roosters play in the ginormous SCG, with the crowd looking like a non-league game.
They don't have to. Its their national sport (and frankly it seems pretty poorly attended if I remember the last time I looked at a random game - also seemed to be atmosphere-less, the GF seemed to need the PA to start the fans doing anything).
nathan_rugby wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:24 am
Have IMG come out and explained that the stadium dullness criteria is related to things looking good on tv?
I don’t really buy this argument and a few posters above have said the same.
Half full stadiums don’t look good to who? Rugby league fans watching tv?
It looks bad to casual viewers that we need to convert into regular watchers. If you see an event on TV with a full house it's much easier to feel that it's a meaningful event and be drawn in. If the same thing is played in a half empty stadium it just doesn't look like it's important.
I believe we (the whole game/ should be doing something with ticket prices until the majority of our matches are sell outs. But the finances of the game probably prevent that.
I get that, but how many casual viewers are there and what impact does this really have?
Enough of an impact to create criteria that punishes a team with the highest average attendance and rewards those with smaller grounds?
With regards to ticket prices, its not as simple as that. The risk is you reduce prices, have extra fans but then lose out on overall revenue which is obviously very important.
nathan_rugby wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:24 am
Have IMG come out and explained that the stadium dullness criteria is related to things looking good on tv?
I don’t really buy this argument and a few posters above have said the same.
Half full stadiums don’t look good to who? Rugby league fans watching tv?
It looks bad to casual viewers that we need to convert into regular watchers. If you see an event on TV with a full house it's much easier to feel that it's a meaningful event and be drawn in. If the same thing is played in a half empty stadium it just doesn't look like it's important.
I believe we (the whole game/ should be doing something with ticket prices until the majority of our matches are sell outs. But the finances of the game probably prevent that.
I get that, but how many casual viewers are there and what impact does this really have?
Enough of an impact to create criteria that punishes a team with the highest average attendance and rewards those with smaller grounds?
With regards to ticket prices, its not as simple as that. The risk is you reduce prices, have extra fans but then lose out on overall revenue which is obviously very important.
If there aren't any casual viewers, then we're not going to expand our TV audience much are we. If we don't do that, we don't get more TV money, and there's only so much more revenue the Wigan market can sustain, so where is the growth going to come from?
On ticket prices, yes its a risk, but IMO if you can afford a short term drop in revenue to create a market where demand is much stronger, then you can recover that in the long term. To start off with though its your money you're gambling with.
It looks bad to casual viewers that we need to convert into regular watchers. If you see an event on TV with a full house it's much easier to feel that it's a meaningful event and be drawn in. If the same thing is played in a half empty stadium it just doesn't look like it's important.
I believe we (the whole game/ should be doing something with ticket prices until the majority of our matches are sell outs. But the finances of the game probably prevent that.
I get that, but how many casual viewers are there and what impact does this really have?
Enough of an impact to create criteria that punishes a team with the highest average attendance and rewards those with smaller grounds?
With regards to ticket prices, its not as simple as that. The risk is you reduce prices, have extra fans but then lose out on overall revenue which is obviously very important.
If there aren't any casual viewers, then we're not going to expand our TV audience much are we. If we don't do that, we don't get more TV money, and there's only so much more revenue the Wigan market can sustain, so where is the growth going to come from?
On ticket prices, yes its a risk, but IMO if you can afford a short term drop in revenue to create a market where demand is much stronger, then you can recover that in the long term. To start off with though its your money you're gambling with.
I do agree with this approach but didnt Huddersfield try this offering free tickets etc and it made little to no difference to their crowds?
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure
