RL on Channel 4

[Futtocks]

2 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

I just recorded it and watched it in the evening.  That prompts me to ask, out of interest, whether anybody knows if the quoted viewing figures include people, like me, who were recording it to watch later?  I have no idea of the technicalities involved in getting these figures?

I don't know if the BARB panels members log recordings, but they'd also have to log when/whether they played that recording too.

Those who watched yesterday's game on C4's catch-up service will automatically have been logged.

[Damien]

23 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

I was hoping for nearer 1m peak. 

Some years the Challenge Cup final has barely peaked at 1m on BBC1, in 2019 it was 1,037,300 for instance. I'm not sure why you would be expecting as much on Channel 4.

[Waynebennettswinger]

How do we define great?

Is it whether we surpass Channel 4 and SL/RL expectations or is it purely down to figures? If it is figures then is audience share more relevant than actual number?

I am asking as I don’t know! I would say the former but obviously the latter informs that and would be the area a lot would focus on.

[Futtocks]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

Some years the Challenge Cup final has barely peaked at 1m on BBC1, in 2019 it was 1,037,300 for instance. I'm not sure why you would be expecting as much on Channel 4.

I can't find the 2021 figure, but 2020 was 1.6mn (peak) & 1mn (average) for the final - the biggest since 2012.

Of course, a lot of people would have been stuck at home for the 2020 final (unless we were invited to a party at Downing Street).

[Damien]

2 minutes ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

How do we define great?

Is it whether we surpass Channel 4 and SL/RL expectations or is it purely down to figures? If it is figures then is audience share more relevant than actual number?

I am asking as I don’t know! I would say the former but obviously the latter informs that and would be the area a lot would focus on.

Surely great has to be defined in the context of channel 4 viewing figures. If as Dunbar says its in the top 20 that seems good to me.

Lets also not forget that the game was up against the Man Utd v Southampton match on BT Sport too which presumably knocks off a fair few casual sports fans.

[Dunbar]

14 minutes ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

How do we define great?

Is it whether we surpass Channel 4 and SL/RL expectations or is it purely down to figures? If it is figures then is audience share more relevant than actual number?

I am asking as I don’t know! I would say the former but obviously the latter informs that and would be the area a lot would focus on.

In 2021, average audiences on Sky were 150k with a number of games topping 200k and Catalans Dragons Round 1 win over Hull KR in reaching over half a million viewers.

Super League Pulls In Record Viewing Figures

I am in the camp that says 735k is a terrific start in our ambition to reach more people and I am sure Channel 4 will use this to gain some more momentum.  In particular if the BBC Challenge Cup games can add to this and then the World Cup.  We could be at the start of something very very encouraging.

Edited February 13, 2022 by Dunbar

[Gerrumonside ref]

Whatever the debate about comparing the viewing figures to those elsewhere we can see a good start on C4.

I think too there’s lessons there for Sky and also BBC on what works and doesn’t work.

In many ways Channel 4 went ‘back to basics’ (a classic Leeds house music night ironically) and brought us a simple commentary that really allowed you to focus on the match.

This is a cheap solution to the overly burdened Sky ‘group commentary’ technique which actually distracts you from what is happening on the pitch!

[Jughead]

28 minutes ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

They’ll need to start talking about it on Gogglebox soon! Then we’ll know we’ve made it

Part joking but also part observation of modern society.

I mean, you’re probably joking but being on Gogglebox would be huge. I can’t remember who said it on here but they said they’d like to see the reactions of people watching yesterdays game for the first time and I dare say, some of the Gogglebox crowd would be in that category of not having seen the game before. It may convert others to give it a go too, I’ve ended up watching loads of programmes because I saw snippets on Gogglebox. 

[Dave T]

1.2m seems to be the 15th placed C4 show on Barb each week, so our 530k won't get near that listing. 

But that seems a very decent start. 

[Maximus Decimus]

It isn't comparing apples with apples, but an average of 530k would put it at one of the most watched SL games of all time.

[redjonn]

If the audience viewing figures are as impressive to C4 and are sustained and improve upon the levels of yesterday then the answer to what C4 think will be if its moved to a better time or I should say a more peak viewing slot.  Of course what advertising they managed to book also.

That decision over time will give us the answer to how C4 view RL eyeballs and advertising revenues that they receive as a result of the coverage.

Its great we have free-to-air coverage but hopefully it is profitable for C4, which I guess will be a key determinate.

[jacksy]

As someone mentioned on twitter.

Won't Ch4 be looking at how SL viewing figures compare to the other sports they have in their portfolio? 

[Dunbar]

An interesting comparison to the figures for the first Union Premiership match on ITV this year.  They peaked at 750k and League on Channel 4 at 735k.  I would say that this stands up very well indeed.

And this is just to put the viewing figures into context, not to start a cross code debate.

ITV’s first live Premiership Rugby match sets TV audience record | Sport | The Times

[dkw]

RL is known in Penrith and Kendal, there was an amateur RL team in Penrith for many years and when Town were in the big league a supporters bus ran to every home game.

[weloveyouwakefield2]

I think the whole thing is very encouraging all round and wish it had happened years ago. Positive, positive and rugby league don’t usually go together so when it does we have to be happy, onwards and upwards.

[jacksy]

Think i will go to ch4 catch up and replay the game.

 

  

Edited February 13, 2022 by jacksy

[Ant]

4 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

An interesting comparison to the figures for the first Union Premiership match on ITV this year.  They peaked at 750k and League on Channel 4 at 735k.  I would say that this stands up very well indeed.

And this is just to put the viewing figures into context, not to start a cross code debate.

ITV’s first live Premiership Rugby match sets TV audience record | Sport | The Times

That is VERY good figures for RL given that ITV is a more watched channel than C4

 

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

To get those viewing figures for a Saturday lunchtime's pretty good going.

[glossop saint]

1 hour ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

I try to stay away from comparison with other sports but I would be genuinely interested in how the figure for a league game between to well known teams (admittedly their first game of the season) compared to the BBC figures for the Six Nations game (a long established famous international tournament.)

I think that channel 4 have had club rugby union in the past year or so. Channel 5 as well. That would make for interesting comparison. And of course how many tune in again next week. I would hope and expect the majority would and hopefully some new viewers as well.

[graveyard johnny]

24 minutes ago, jacksy said:

Think i will go to ch4 catch up and replay the game.

 

  

i taped it -if you want to borrow the cassette before i tape over it?

[theswanmcr]

33 minutes ago, dkw said:

RL is known in Penrith and Kendal, there was an amateur RL team in Penrith for many years and when Town were in the big league a supporters bus ran to every home game.

So why had Helen Skelton’s dad not heard about it? We need to know the truth and we need to know it now

[Scubby]

14 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

i taped it -if you want to borrow the cassette before i tape over it?

Hope you had it on LP

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

It must have been good because Christopher Irvine's report in The Sunday Times was positive

[Man of Kent]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

1.2m seems to be the 15th placed C4 show on Barb each week, so our 530k won't get near that listing. 

But that seems a very decent start. 

Yep. Not bad but not great. 

[Exiled Wiganer]

I have spent a lot of time in Cumbria, and have always found it to be very open to our game. Wonderful county. Some people wherever you go are oblivious about all sport, and pretty much every sport aside from football (and F1 I suppose) are niche. Our kids know their league players but wouldn’t be able to name a single cricketer. 

Edited February 13, 2022 by Exiled Wiganer