The AFL abandoned Thursday night football despite having clear attendance and television wins over the NRL, giving the rival code a huge advantage for the remainder of the 2024 season.
The AFL said it would base its decision on whether to retain Thursday night games for the remainder of this year’s rounds based on interest, and fans responded.
Viewership for Thursday night matches on Channel Seven averages 623,000 this season compared to 603,000 watching the NRL, while the average audience is 50,650 people attending these matches. The average NRL Thursday night attendance is 21,035.
The Brisbane Broncos have been the kings of Thursday night football and have proven to be a big draw in the Sunshine State.
Channel Seven’s reach on Thursday night is around 1.823 million, more than Friday night football.
Despite having a clear advantage over its rival, the AFL only has four Thursday night games left on the schedule. After round 13, there will be none left.
It’s a baffling decision that gives the NRL a vital free kick in the fight to be the dominant football code in Australia.
‘That will never make any sense to me. We’re bringing back Thursday nights to the NRL and Netflix. That’s crazy,” AFL analyst Gerard Whately told SEN.
Soon, 1.8 million of us will be loose on Thursday nights. Any ideas what we could do?
AFL fans who loved Thursday night football will be disappointed with the league’s decision to abandon the games.
With the NRL having a second team in Brisbane, The Dolphins, Suncorp Stadium (pictured) can be used for even more Thursday night games.
AFL fixtures boss Josh Bowler said the league was focused on rewarding teams for good form and hosting Friday night blockbusters at the expense of Thursday night football.
“We have some great competitive matchups in the top slots, including a series of blockbuster games on Friday nights leading up to the finals,” he said.
“While there will be no more Thursday night games this season, as we transition to new broadcast arrangements in 2025, we will look to continue building on the growth and success we saw this season.”
The NRL will almost certainly take advantage of the free kick, starting with more Thursday night games in Queensland.
While the NRL’s average Thursday night attendance is 21,035, it rises to 24,783 when the Brisbane Broncos or Dolphins play at Suncorp Stadium.
The NRL has 11 Thursday night games left in 2024, with only the Magic Round and State of Origin weeks leaving the spot completely vacant.
However, that could require a rethink for the 2025 season, with the AFL abandoning fertile ground and ARL Commission chief Peter V’landys already declaring war on the Aussie Rules this year.
V’Landys has taken the code to the United States with games in Las Vegas this season and is aggressively buying real estate to turn the NRL into a billion-dollar industry.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys (pictured) has already declared war on the AFL and will seize the opportunity given to the NRL.
The NRL has already dealt a blow to the AFL by holding the first two games of the season in Las Vegas in front of a huge crowd (pictured).
V’Landys said in February he already believes the NRL has overtaken the AFL, a bold claim that will only be reinforced by claiming a monopoly on Thursday night games.
‘To be honest, we are already the number one sport. “The AFL is No. 2,” V’landys said.
‘They are after us, despite what they think.
‘In terms of audience figures, we are number one, that cannot be denied.
‘Look, the AFL has a national footprint and I respect them, they do a really good job promoting their sport.
‘I like the fact that they are doing a great job because it makes us want to compete and improve.
“They know we’re close and we’ll keep them honest.”