Having taken a look at a number of AFL clubs, I thought it fair I should take a look at an NRL club – and the easiest one to obtain information for was the Broncos, so I started with them.
Note the way they report their figures changed in 2016 so we have not gone back futher than 2017.
The Broncos Revenue has risen by 75% since 2017. $81 million isnt bad for a club with no pokies affiliation. After the Pandemic affected results of 2019-2020, Revenue really took off in 2023.
The Broncos have only made a loss once in the last seven years with comprehensive profits of $24.184 million – more than 11.3 million in the last two years.
While NRL Grant has seen the single biggest revenue increase – up 109% from 2017 from $9 million in 2017 to almost $20 million in 2024, Membership/ticketing and matchday has lifted 70% to since 2017, including a 67% rise in the last two years.
Sponsorship revenue has risen a more modest 16% since 2017.
Memberships have risen 69% since 2016, with both ticketed and non ticketed members rising more than 80%. The percentage of ticketed members has risen from 64% to 68% since 2017, and remained remarkably steady during the pandemic.
The Dolphins appear to have made no dent in Broncos numbers, with memberships, ticketed memberships and non ticketed memberships up 67% since the Dolphins was announced.
Broncos attendances are up 27% since 2017, and despite taking the expected dive during the Pandemic have rise, 36% since the Dolphins were launched.
What about compared to the ancient enemy?
The Broncos were founded in 1987, and the AFLs Lions in 1986, so the comparison of where both clubs are at is reasonable in my humble opinion.
The Broncos drew crowds 29% higher than the Lions, filling Suncorp Stadium to 76% of capacity, while the Lions took the Gabba to 83% capacity. The Lions had a 3% higher membership total, but the Broncos appear to make more money from these, and while we know the Broncos ticketed numbers, we dont have that luxury with the Lions.
The Lions generated 15% more revenue off the back of 23 million in social club revenue, and 29 million from the AFL, if pokie revenues are withdrawn the Broncos made 13% more revenue than the Lions, with 10 million less from the League.
The Broncos generated 91% more revene from membership/matchday and corporate hospitality than the Lions managed from membership and matchday, while the Lions received 6% more revenue than the Broncos for sponsorship and corporate revenue. These figures are not exact comparisons, but between them they should be close – and its a clear win to the NRL team here.
Theres a reason the Broncos are the benchmark for the NRL, usually noted in crowds or members or tv ratings, but notable as well in revenue figures that arent bolstered by Pokie empires.
Threres no sign of that dominance disappearing – not just in the NRL, but over local opposition, even with the introduction of long overdue NRL competition – which by the way has proven to have nothing but positive effects on revenue, memberships and attendances.
Data:
Brisbane Broncos Annual Reports
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