Weekend Industry News – Monday, May 15th, 2017

AFL

• End of round 8, and 2017 AFL crowds remain up 2% to 2,546,127 at an average if 35,363.
• AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has hailed the historic Shanghai match as a resounding success, saying the only negative was the one-sided result.
• Rucci: In the face of doubt and criticism, Port Adelaide Power has taken its brand — and that of the AFL — to China. Ports China game cost 4 million – the Power found 20 sponsors – including 12 in China.
• Port, which championed the idea of a game in China, has attracted $4 million and 12 new partners to the club, and created a vehicle for greater bilateral engagement, which was previously absent in the often prickly relationship between Canberra and Beijing.
• The successful staging of the inaugural home-and-away clash in Shanghai will not only encourage the AFL to persist with the venture, but could help lay the groundwork for the National Football League to blaze a trail.
• Suns administrators will conduct a thorough review of the China experiment in the coming weeks before announcing their intentions for next year
• The AFL is now supporting Chinese programs with $250,000 in funding and chief executive Gillon McLachlan is hoping they will give Australia’s indigenous game a toe-hold in China.
• The empty space on the back of the Melbourne jumper has finally been filled with insurance company iSelect signing a deal believed to worth a high six-figure sum to become the club’s co-principal partner until the end of next season.
• Port Adelaide has signedl a $3 million sponsorship deal with Chinese firm MJK International Holdings.
• Hawthorn has 9370 Tassie Hawks as part of its total club membership
• Almost 1.02 million fans came to the MCG in the first eight @AFL rounds – an average of 53,664 per game. All in just 53 days!
• Foxfooty still #1 on STV – 5th week in a row, 6th out of 8 since seasons start

NRL

• End of Round 10, and NRL attendance remains down 3% to 1,286,995 at an average of 16,087.
• Rothfield: Take NRL to bush to remove ugly backdrop of empty seats
• The World Club Series could be coming to Australia next season in what would be just the fourth clash between the best of the NRL and Super League on these shores.
• Rugby league officials are pushing for the World Nines in 2019

Super Rugby

• Close of R12 of the Super Rugby Season, and Australian crowds are down 27% on 2016 to 12,356 (2016: 16,946). Note: no data for 4 matches

A-league

• Capital Football boss Phil Brown has denied his organisation was responsible for seeking ACT government funding to have A-League games played in Canberra.

General

• Time-starved parents are increasingly struggling to keep up with the demands of their children’s sporting commitments, according to the State’s new Sport Minister.
• Cricket is heading for an uncivil war over pay and its fallout will turn fans off the game, says Robert Craddock
• The strength of AFL over the weekend helped Seven come from behind to win the ratings week.