Melbourne Vixens turning a regular profit from big crowds

THE Vixens are turning a regular profit on home games for the first time since their inception after a surge in crowd figures.

Melbourne Vixens

MELBOURNE Vixens are turning a regular profit on home games for the first time since their inception after more than doubling their crowd figures this year.

The Vixens' crowd numbers are up 8166 on the same period last year after the team's first three home games of the season at Hisense Arena.

The netball team has attracted 15,117 supporters to its home fixtures against Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, Queensland Firebirds and Northern Mystics.

It's a significant jump on the 6951 who attended the team's first three home games last season, two of which were held at the State Netball Hockey Centre.

Acting Netball Victoria chief executive Russell James said the risky move to shift home games away from SNHC was paying dividends.

"At the end of last year we made a conscious decision to move away from the State Netball Hockey Centre as a venue because it just didn't give us any room to grow," James said.

"But that also had an element of risk to it because Hisense, with a capacity of 9000 or 10,000, means that if we are not averaging crowds of about 4000, we lose money.

"For the first time in the Vixens' history, we are actually turning a profit around Vixens games this year, which is really pleasing.

"Basically, other than when we have played the Swifts and the Thunderbirds, games have traditionally run at a loss for us.

"We're really well positioned to not just break attendance and revenue records, but to smash those."

The Vixens have already surpassed their budgeted casual ticket revenue for the entire season, with three home games still to be played.

And two of those three home games, against the NSW Swifts today and the Adelaide Thunderbirds next Sunday, are traditionally the team's highest-drawing crowds.

James said improved on-court performance early in the season, Sunday fixtures and a focus on brand awareness and fan-development strategy had also helped boost attendances.

"Two years ago, average crowds of 5000 were really aspirational," he said.

"The previous average crowds were around the 3000, 3200-mark. It's obviously a huge increase."

The second-placed Vixens will be striving to turn their on-court fortunes around today against the NSW Swifts (fourth) after consecutive losses in the past two weeks.