The difference is the nfl's marketing budget just in London is probably ten fold of every SL club combined marketing budget.

I don't even watch nfl but have noticed just how much content sky show and it clearly is very popular here. Outside the games sky show all kinds of shoulder programming and when you look at the production values NFL content it just looks all high end.

It looks like a premium product and the ticket prices for these UK games are premium prices but they have clearly tapped into a fanbase who have disposable income to not only buy tickets but the nfl make a killing on merchandise sales at these games.

I've seen the fans after games on tubes and trains and you see people with bags of merchandise and that stuff isn't cheap at all.

Rugby League is in the doldrums, and Rimmer is not the Leader to get us out of them.

Not if your a Saints fan were feking flying high

There was somewhere around 45000 in attendance

45k attendance. So that means no SL grand final has ever been played in a stadium in front of that many empty seats (approx. 30k) People are voting with their feet. The game is on its backside

Why do you want to think like that?

Covid fears leaves not only people not buying tickets to live events it leads to 20% of people who have bought tickets in advance not taking them up . Went to a theatre performance that was sold out but there were lots or empty seats, the ushers gave me the 20% figure and explained these people don't want to take their seats due to Covid risks ....

People forget that Covid infections have not gone away, there are around 30,000 a day in the here and now.

Seriously only a f3ckwit could come to that conclusion when everyone knows the reason for the lower than usual crowd.

Not surprising with an overseas club in there and Covid still running rampant..........

If Wigan had been the opposition and Covid extinct then whose to say the crowd would not be just as as good as past crowds?

Covid doesn't seem to be affecting football crowds, my football team Hartlepool United are getting their best home attendances for years, nearly 6K each game.

Brentford, my local club when I lived in London, have played 3 home games in the Premiership this year.....the stadium holds 17,250 fans and has been 96% full for all three games.
Another ex-Landlord of the Broncos, Harlequins Rugby Union have played 2 Gallagher Premiership games and both games have been at 98% capacity.

Hey. I get it. Covid is a scary beast and it is very much still around, but it only seems to be hitting Rugby League Crowd. No doubt, once the 2022 season starts attendances will bounce, but if they don't, what excuse other than the game is in strife will you come up with? Catalan and Toulouse ate my homework?

What we need is more pit village sides and less of this expansion malarkey. Featherstone v Bradford is what the public want to see....not some French Team with a higher average attendance than Featherstone and Bradford combined.....

Maybe the ageing RL fan base is the reason for it effecting RL matches. The sport needs younger fans.

101%!
Rugby League as a sport needs to spend 10 times on Marketing itself in 2022 to just "tread water"....people have had 2 years to find something else to do and we need to get the Fans back....

I see "event" marketing a being Key in the next few years....

Blimey Izmir? You said on TRL "[iAs I run and coach an amateur club and small League I fully understand the importance of the local game[/i". Are you also a self declared marketing expert as well?? Is there no end to your talents??

Quote: orangeman "'" Quote: orangeman "101%! Rugby League as a sport needs to spend 10 times on Marketing itself in 2022 to just "tread water"....people have had 2 years to find something else to do and we need to get the Fans back.... I see "event" marketing a being Key in the next few years....'" So what are the key areas that will guarantee a return on investment ? Many other sports have had 'events' which attract a good one off number, but doesn't turn into sustainable growth (e.g. Saracens RU games at Wembley). What should Wigan or Saints be doing to encourage growth outside their dormitory areas - if these two can't get 15k crowds week in week out then there's little hope for the rest. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... gby-league

Quote: orangeman "'" Quote: orangeman "101%! Rugby League as a sport needs to spend 10 times on Marketing itself in 2022 to just "tread water"....people have had 2 years to find something else to do and we need to get the Fans back.... I see "event" marketing a being Key in the next few years....'" So what are the key areas that will guarantee a return on investment ? Many other sports have had 'events' which attract a good one off number, but doesn't turn into sustainable growth (e.g. Saracens RU games at Wembley). What should Wigan or Saints be doing to encourage growth outside their dormitory areas - if these two can't get 15k crowds week in week out then there's little hope for the rest. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... gby-league

Covid fear must only be in RL fans then. Football stadiums are sold out, boxing events sold out. Darts events sold out. Cricket events sold out. Even the NFL games in London are sold out.

Using Covid as an excuse is laughable.