AFL Grand Final start time - Afternoon, twilight or night

[Underarm]

Of course it would rate higher, but not high enough to justify moving it into that timeslot when over 80% of the fan base wants it left exactly where it is.

You just cannot use 2020 and 2021 as an example in this argument, especially as dishonestly as you did by omitting the major contributing factor as to why it rated so well.

The Major contributing factor to 2020 and 2021 rating higher was it being at night.

Your first point is correct however. Its a grapple between getting the most money and biggest ratings, and what the Core fanbsase would prefer.

 

[JPetro83]

As much as i love tradition i felt a bit flat come 5pm Saturday arvo... like, i wish the day was longer. i am starting to change my tune.. i think a 5.15pm(est) GF would be the go.

 

[Mr north man]

As much as i love tradition i felt a bit flat come 5pm Saturday arvo... like, i wish the day was longer. i am starting to change my tune.. i think a 5.15pm(est) GF would be the go.

If you move the Grand Final put it at 3pm

 

[Blackhawk42]

The Major contributing factor to 2020 and 2021 rating higher was it being at night.

Your first point is correct however. Its a grapple between getting the most money and biggest ratings, and what the Core fanbsase would prefer.

You don't believe the major contributing factor was everybody in the state of Victoria being locked in their home with only their television?

It turned what might usually be a part of 20 people watching 1 TV into 20 individual units watching the same game.
That was always going to have a massive impact on the rating, no matter what time of day it was played.

 

[Bjo187]

The Major contributing factor to 2020 and 2021 rating higher was it being at night.

Your first point is correct however. Its a grapple between getting the most money and biggest ratings, and what the Core fanbsase would prefer.

It's why you combine the two, I don't want a night grand final, but twilight combines a bit of the best of both elements day and night, it's why it's the obvious long term solution.

 

[GWT6]

The only reason to keep the grand final at 2:30 is "bUt Te Alwaz bEEn tHaT"

Starts too early, everyone is cooked by 6pm after firing up the BBQ at midday. Play it from 5pm.

Only thing worse than the current time would a late game, gane see the morons running AFL start it at 8pm to make sure Channel Seven"talent" get as many hours as possible to cross promote shit shows in the lead up.

 

[Underarm]

It's why you combine the two, I don't want a night grand final, but twilight combines a bit of the best of both elements day and night, it's why it's the obvious long term solution.

I think its the best time to play the Grand final - Every twilight final I've been to confirms this for me.

But I don't think it gives the TV boost as the Night GF would and it annoys tradionatalists just as much so it will never be worth it.

 

[Bjo187]

I think its the best time to play the Grand final - Every twilight final I've been to confirms this for me.

But I don't think it gives the TV boost as the Night GF would and it annoys tradionatalists just as much so it will never be worth it.

You're adding about 500k in twilight and about 1 million in night time I think. To give people an idea, 1 million viewers usually gives you the top rating program on Australian tv each night, so that's how many people you're leaving on the table with a Saturday afternoon game at the moment, minimum.

I think 7 would be happy with twilight, the cats v lions game was the highest rating of any sport league this year in Australia, pre gf.

 

[peetoo]

Remember the LOWEST ratings contests for Grand Final involve two Melbourne teams. The highest ratings Grand Finals historically) involve the NSW and Qld teams.

2019: Tigers v Giants 2,940,000
Day match, featuring NSW team. Would have got 4 million if a night. Poor ratings. A bad TV result

2020: Tigers v Cats 3,878,000 NIGHT
Two Vic teams. The worst match-up. Yet nearly 4 million because it was at night. Rated one-milion higher than the year before when the two biggest cities were represented, yet in this game only one city (Melbourne) was represented in the contest.

2021: Demons v Bulldogs 4,110,000 NIGHT
Two low supported Vic teams. The worst possible TV ratings match-up. Highest rated of of the last 5 years because it was at night.

2022: Cats v Swans 3,060,000
Day match. Swans involved. Should have got 500,000 more than a contest between two Vic teams, yet gets one million LESS than a night GF between two Vic teams the year before. An unmitigated ratings disaster. A ratings catastrophe. A total disaster.

2023: Magpies v Lions 4,003,000
A great rating helped by Collinwood's presence, the fact a Qld team was in it, and that it was close. Yet it still rated less than two low supported Vic clubs in 2021. Should have got 5 million at night. Melb vs Bulldogs outrated it for crying out loud and that 2021 match was a 74 point result

If you still think the Grand Final should be during the day after reading that, you are quite simply a moron.

Dan26 the master negotiator

 

[Billy ray]

put it back by 10mins every year, so 2:40pm in 2025

here is the next few decades sorted
people wont even notice, like the frog in a slowly boiling pot (which frankly, is what we all are)

2:40:00 PM​	2025​
2:50:00 PM​	2026​
3:00:00 PM​	2027​
3:10:00 PM​	2028​
3:20:00 PM​	2029​
3:30:00 PM​	2030​
3:40:00 PM​	2031​
3:50:00 PM​	2032​
4:00:00 PM​	2033​
4:10:00 PM​	2034​
4:20:00 PM​	2035​
4:30:00 PM​	2036​
4:40:00 PM​	2037​
4:50:00 PM​	2038​
5:00:00 PM​	2039​
5:10:00 PM​	2040​
5:20:00 PM​	2041​
5:30:00 PM​	2042​
5:40:00 PM​	2043​
5:50:00 PM​	2044​
6:00:00 PM​	2045​
6:10:00 PM​	2046​
6:20:00 PM​	2047​
6:30:00 PM​	2048​
6:40:00 PM​	2049​
6:50:00 PM​	2050​
7:00:00 PM​	2051​
7:10:00 PM​	2052​
7:20:00 PM​	2053​
7:30:00 PM​	2054​

 

[Rotayjay]

As it is during daytime, the AFL grand final is always the highest-rating program on Australian TV every year. So Channel Seven is just being greedy, as is par for the course for blood-sucking corporations (it's technically a legal requirement that boards act in the company's financial interests but that's a whole other story).

 

[Jigglypuff]

I don't think seven are being greedy. They pay a lot of money to the AFL (almost more than the entire market cap of the network) and need to justify it. To give you an idea of the value being left on the table is that seven lost the ratings for Saturday to nine in the key demographics and only narrowly won in the overall despite having the grand final, as it is calculated on primetime only. If the game hit prime time then seven would have easily won the night and the week. Weekly wins at the end of the year means seven can demand more money than other networks from the advertising pool.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

put it back by 10mins every year, so 2:40pm in 2025

here is the next few decades sorted
people wont even notice, like the frog in a slowly boiling pot (which frankly, is what we all are)

2:40:00 PM​	2025​
2:50:00 PM​	2026​
3:00:00 PM​	2027​
3:10:00 PM​	2028​
3:20:00 PM​	2029​
3:30:00 PM​	2030​
3:40:00 PM​	2031​
3:50:00 PM​	2032​
4:00:00 PM​	2033​
4:10:00 PM​	2034​
4:20:00 PM​	2035​
4:30:00 PM​	2036​
4:40:00 PM​	2037​
4:50:00 PM​	2038​
5:00:00 PM​	2039​
5:10:00 PM​	2040​
5:20:00 PM​	2041​
5:30:00 PM​	2042​
5:40:00 PM​	2043​
5:50:00 PM​	2044​
6:00:00 PM​	2045​
6:10:00 PM​	2046​
6:20:00 PM​	2047​
6:30:00 PM​	2048​
6:40:00 PM​	2049​
6:50:00 PM​	2050​
7:00:00 PM​	2051​
7:10:00 PM​	2052​
7:20:00 PM​	2053​
7:30:00 PM​	2054​

They actually did this by 5-10 mins each year, I think it was the in the late 90s. And yeah people thought they were trying to do it by stealth. It got to 3pm-ish before being wound back.

 

[Clark G]

I don't think seven are being greedy. They pay a lot of money to the AFL (almost more than the entire market cap of the network) and need to justify it. To give you an idea of the value being left on the table is that seven lost the ratings for Saturday to nine in the key demographics and only narrowly won in the overall despite having the grand final, as it is calculated on primetime only. If the game hit prime time then seven would have easily won the night and the week. Weekly wins at the end of the year means seven can demand more money than other networks from the advertising pool.

If 7 want to capitalise on having the rights, maybe they should put more effort into having better footy TV shows throughout the season.

 

[JohnZ]

I will add to this topic, if you think Ch7/Fox paid through the arse for the rights and didn't get a later GF time locked in a contract, you've got rocks in your head. It's not Dillon's choice either.....the AFL comission decides the start time.

 

[Rotayjay]

I will add to this topic, if you think Ch7/Fox paid through the arse for the rights and didn't get a later GF time locked in a contract, you've got rocks in your head. It's not Dillon's choice either.....the AFL comission decides the start time.

If this is locked in, why can't the AFL be transparent about it and say 'Well * you, plebs, we know you prefer the day slot but our masters at Seven say we need to switch.' Instead of this bullshit speculation and hinting being trotted out every year.

 

[Rotayjay]

Judging by this thread, the more recently you saw your team win a flag, the more likely you are to be in favour of the existing time slot. If you're a passionate supporter, it's a core memory and almost on par (some would say greater) than a wedding or the birth of a child.

 

[Pivot Piece]

You're adding about 500k in twilight and about 1 million in night time I think. To give people an idea, 1 million viewers usually gives you the top rating program on Australian tv each night, so that's how many people you're leaving on the table with a Saturday afternoon game at the moment, minimum.

I think 7 would be happy with twilight, the cats v lions game was the highest rating of any sport league this year in Australia, pre gf.

Absolutely no way it’s anywhere near that. It’s maybe a few 100k at best.