Super Netball reports viewing increase

October 21, 2020

With the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season completed last weekend, the league has released key broadcast metrics, showing an increase across the board in viewership numbers.

The competition’s Grand Final on Sunday saw 930,000 people tune in to Nine’s free-to-air broadcast, making it the highest rated match of the 2020 season with viewership up for all demographics compared to the 2019 edition.

The average audience of the Grand Final on the Netball Live Official App was also up by 30% compared to last year, with digital proving to be key as streaming of the match on 9now was also up 37%.

Over the course of the season, the digital increases were key again, as the Netball Live Official App recorded an average audience increase of 30% and Telstra TV of 10%, with almost 34 million minutes in total streamed across both the app and Telstra TV.

Over five million people watched Super Netball broadcasts on Nine, with average viewing time up 16.18% from the 2019 season.

Welcoming the support of netball fans despite the changes to the season due to COVID-19,

Suncorp Super Netball Chief Executive, Chris Symington advised “while only limited fans were able to physically attend matches in Queensland and Adelaide this season due to COVID-19 restrictions, our fantastic broadcast partners Nine and Telstra still managed to elevate their match coverage to another level to ensure fans around Australia and the world didn’t miss a minute of the action.

“This season was unique with matches broadcast mid-week to allow for the condensed season timeframe, but fans continued to tune in and we couldn’t be happier with the continued growth we have seen across the board this year."

Nine Head of Netball, Keeley Devery, said the fourth season of Suncorp Super Netball has proved once again it is the world’s premier netball competition, noting “it has been a mammoth effort from all sides to pull off an exceptional season despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.

“Each week, audiences were treated to world-class netball action as the best of the best battled it out on the courts, culminating in a nail biting Grand Final where the Melbourne Vixens, who against all odds, managed to bring the title home for Victoria.”

Advising that he was delighted with the increases that streaming platforms experienced during the season, Telstra Sport Digital Manager, Andrew Considine added “digital streaming for netball set a number of records through the season and fans loved watching the mid-week action for the first time.

“The season has presented enormous challenges, but fans continue to flock to the Netball Live App to watch the best competition in the world and the best athletes.”

Super Netball’s broadcast agreements with Nine and Telstra are set to expire following the 2021 season.

29th September 2020 - Netball Australia announces support for Indigenous players through declaration of commitment

27th September 2020 - Agreement to see Super Netball players receive at least 90% of their full salaries

16th September 2020 - Brisbane’s Nissan Arena to host Super Netball Grand Final

29th August 2020 - Netball Australia selects Stacey Marinkovich as new Diamonds Head Coach

28th August 2020 - Super Netball commits to matches in Cairns and Townsville

10th August 2020 - South-East Queensland tourism boosted by moving Ekka public holiday

29th July 2020 - Australian sport to be further impacted by closure of Queensland border to Sydney residents

26th July 2020 - NRL broadcasts lose more than a million viewers since competition restart

19th July 2020 - Interstate teams to relocate to Queensland for Super Netball competition

15th July 2020 - AFL looks to relocate more clubs to Queensland

2nd July 2020 - RAC Arena reopens with exhibition netball game in front of a crowd

30th June 2020 - Netball Australia looks to secure 2027 Netball World Cup for Sydney

18th June 2020 - Live Entertainment Industry Forum welcomes return of sports fans in Queensland

31st May 2020 - Suncorp Super Netball announces details for 2020 season start

15th May 2020 - Netball Australia releases guidelines for safe return to community netball

13th May 2020 - Suncorp Super Netball advises clubs of no team training until 31st May

12th March 2020 - Marketing specialist Terri Meadmore joins Netball Australia board

4th February 2020 - Former Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie bypassed Sport Australia board to authorise $2.5 million grant to Netball Australia

17th September 2019 - Suncorp Super Netball season sees sport reach largest ever audiences

27th April 2019 - Suncorp Super Netball’s third season will feature ‘stronger, faster, fitter athletes’

Asking a small favour
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

Click here to subscribe.