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Blog with Buzz: Fans flock to watch NRL strugglers in 2018

WHO says you have to win to be popular? Fox Sports has released data on which NRL teams are the most watched so far in 2018 and, bizarrely, three clubs featuring in the top five most viewed aren’t even in the ladder’s top eight. LIVE BLOG 1PM

Success does not guarantee television ratings, it would appear.
Success does not guarantee television ratings, it would appear.

TV network Fox Sports is hoping the Wests Tigers can continue on their run for the finals.

Remarkably for a middle-of-the-road team, the Tigers share number one position on pay TV ratings this season with the Brisbane Broncos.

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Not bad for a side that lost its three biggest names last year — James Tedesco, Aaron Woods and Mitchell Moses.

WHO'S HOT ON THE FOX BOX

CLUBAVG AUDIENCE ('000's)
1TIGERS263
2BRONCOS263
3COWBOYS260
4STORM259
5EELS251
6DRAGONS241
7RABBITOHS241
8SHARKS241
9KNIGHTS241
10ROOSTERS235
11PANTHERS235
12SEA EAGLES232
13WARRIORS232
14RAIDERS231
15BULLDOGS230
16TITANS199

Strangely, the Cowboys are the third most-watched on Fox Sports despite North Queensland having been such dismal failures this season.

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At the other end of the table, the Gold Coast Titans are clearly the least-watched team.

Their average audience is 31,000 less than the second-lowest team — Canterbury Bulldogs — and they are the only club that doesn’t average 200,000 viewers or more.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/opinion/phil-rothfield/blog-with-buzz-fans-flock-to-watch-nrl-strugglers-in-2018/news-story/f932d34d0d7521359a50d0bbaca294f1