Four Sydney NRL clubs slash ticket and food prices in fan-tastic deal
IN a huge win for footy fans in the Harbour City, four Sydney-based NRL clubs have banded together to make it affordable to go to the footy again.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
MORE BUZZ: Gould warned of Carty dramas
MORE BUZZ: Highlights and lowlights
FOUR Sydney-based NRL clubs are making it affordable to go to the footy again this year.
South Sydney, Canterbury, Parramatta and Wests Tigers have combined with ANZ Stadium and the NRL to subsidise food, ticket and transport costs.
Adult tickets are capped at $20, there is free entry for kids under 12 and free transport to the game. Plus $9.95 burger, chips and drink meal deals. Other weeks they’ll get $3 pies.
You little beauty.
It will allow families a great day out for about $80. And that’s for everything.
Plus there are 11 daytime games at the venue this season and no more of the old “it’s too late on a school night” excuses.
I get so many emails and comments on social media every week about the cost of going to sport and why crowds have been so poor. It’s unaffordable.
Your columnist went to the T20 cricket at the SCG on Saturday night.
Lucky I had free tickets.
My hot dog cost $9. My bottle of water was $5.30 (the same you can buy in bulk at Woolies for 30c).
A beer was $8.50 and it was $6 for a pie. Soft drinks were $6.10.
And throw in $25 to park the car. (I go to the movies at Westfield Miranda and it costs nothing.)
No wonder the top deck of the Brewongle and other seats around the ground were empty.
It can be a $300 night by the time you’ve paid for tickets and everything else.
There is already evidence in American sport to support the cost-cutting. The Atlanta Falcons moved into a new stadium this year and slashed food and drink prices by 50 per cent. So what happened? Fans spent 16 per cent more.
To coincide with opening the Mercedes-Benz Stadium they introduced what they called Fan First Menu Pricing. Unlimited soft drink or a bottle of water for $2.
Popcorn, a hot dog and a pretzel. Again $2. For $3 fans could get waffle fries, a slice of pizza, or nachos with cheese.
The cheaper food prices left fans with more money for merchandise and sales increased by 88 per cent. Fans also got to the venue earlier.
The initiatives at ANZ Stadium will be in play for the round-one Saturday afternoon blockbuster on March 10 when the Tigers host the Roosters.
James Tedesco will turn out against his old club in that game, Josh Reynolds will be in a Tigers strip for the first time, and Benji Marshall will be back for the Tigers.
The four ANZ Stadium clubs have also made a commitment to better promote their home games this season, including joint media events in the lead-up to derbies. And none of the stupid media bans.
“This is a great example of clubs working together to get the best result for the fans and for the game,” NRL boss Todd Greenberg said.
Hopefully the initiative will spread to other clubs.
New independent commission chairman Peter Beattie told us last week: “You’ve got to make sure people get good food and they don’t get attacked by a bushranger with a hand in your pocket.”
Yesterday Foxtel took out front and back page advertisements to promote its sporting packages.
For $39 a month you can sit in the comfort of your own home and watch every NRL game. That’s besides rugby union, AFL, soccer and cricket.
It’s what the clubs are up against.
And the only way they’ll regularly get bums on seats is with offers like ANZ Stadium.
It’s a huge win for the fans.