The Showdown

The Showdown is a match between Port Adelaide and Adelaide in the AFL. Its generally held twice a year since 1997 when Port entered the AFL, except for 2020 which was only played once due to COVID.

Name

SA Brewing decided on the Showdown name after they engaged Sydney-based marketing agent Mike De Silva to come up with a “brand” for the AFL’s newest derby in Adelaide in 1997.

Rejecting “Southern Derby”, South Australian De Silva recommended Showdown saying: “We’ve created a Western feel to the theme emulating the showdown between the Earps, Doc Holliday and the Clantons at OK Corral ending a long stand-off period between the law and the outlaw, or The Good, The Bad and The Ugly theme.”

The Showdown brand even outlived SA Brewing’s sponsorship of the two AFL clubs, being replaced in 2008 as a match sponsor by Balfours.  And now that there is no local, national nor international commercial sponsor for the Showdown, the derby that divides the state finally has the Adelaide and Port Adelaide football clubs united on delivering good from its grudge match to a charity.

Attendance and Results

Data: AFL Tables

TV Ratings

Due to the nature of the broadcast rights of the AFL, most Showdowns are only shown on Free to Air tv in Adelaide, with only 5 games of 28 shown nationally since 2008. More than 5.15m people have watched Showdowns since 2008 in Adelaide. Since 2008 –

• Average Adelaide FTA audience – 184,000
• Record Adelaide FTA Audience – 252,000 in Round 5, 2015
• Lowest Adelaide FTA Audience – 110,000 in Round 20, 2018.
• Average 5 City Audience – 435,000
• Highest 5 City Audinece – 506,000 in Round 3, 2014
• Average Foxtel Audience – 167,000
• Record Foxtel Audience – 337,000 in Round 15, 2014.
• Lowest Foxtel Audience – 58,000 in Round 21, 2021

Data: Oztam