Netball Australia and Nine are planning to double viewership figures this year ahead of second season of Suncorp Super Netball.
Last year Nine's inaugural broadcast of the code reached a total of 4.7 million Australians for the entire season, a figure Nine director of sport Tom Malone says can be improved upon as the sport moves to Nine's main channel.
“Obviously we would like it to go up, we probably expect double-digit growth in terms of the ratings,” he says.
Netball Australia and Nine have agreed to a new broadcast strategy that will see four live games from each round broadcast on the main Nine channel.
Malone says the matches, broadcast on Saturdays from 3pm and Sundays from 1pm on Nine, will go a long way to improving ratings and attendances.
“Moving it to the main channel, we are expecting it to do well so I think it's fair to say we expect that level of growth. It's going to increase attendance, they are much more family-friendly spots, so there will be an even greater demand for tickets,” he says.
“That helps us in broadcast because if the stadium is really full and looks electric, then it will do the same on TV and translate to the viewers at home.”
New sponsors have yet to be announced, with key partners such as Nissan, Telstra and Samsung all returning as part of multi-year deals.
“We've got some really ambitious targets between Nine and Netball Australia for our commercial program and, yes, we are on the brink of announcing some pretty big brand joining the stable, in terms of iconic brands in Australia and worldwide,” Netball Australia CEO Marne Fechner says.
“It fundamentally underpins and enables us to deliver Suncorp Super Netball. We wouldn't be able to do what we do without growth in our commercial program.”
The joint commercial program between both Nine and Netball Australia allows the sport to go to market in a different manner to most other codes in Australia.
“To go to market with that together means we have a greater control over how we commercialise the sport and, therefore, drive a stronger premium,” he says
“That's Netball Australia and Nine selling the sport from both an exposure point of view in venue and sponsorship on the bibs and courts, and also broadcast with both integration and traditional 30-second TVCs.”
The code experienced rapid growth in its first year on Nine with attendances growing by 42% on the previous year. Part of this is due to the exposure on Nine but another important piece is that the revamped Super Netball competition only has Australian teams rather than the trans-Tasman ANZ Championships.
The growth in crowds has encouraged the Queensland Firebirds to play its games this season at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre rather that the Brisbane Convention Centre.
Fechner says it is incremental steps, such as moving from venues with a 4,500 seat capacity to 10,000 seats, that are some of the benefits the main channel broadcast will provide the sport.
Malone agrees, as Nine has made its backing of the sport clear with long term deals already in place and coverage enhancements such as data rich player insights set to accompany this seasons broadcast.
“The really exciting thing for us is that, this is not just an investment for this year but the next four years, and then the next five years after that,” he says
“We really have this unique relationship with Netball Australia, where we are growing the sport together, because the more we can grow the sport together, the more successful it is going to be as a business proposition.”
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