Eircom League must act fast to exploit feelgood factor

Eircom League must act fast to exploit feelgood factor

The Genesis report was overly negative in criticising the domestic game but to enjoy more success the authorities must heed its warnings. By Paul Rowan

IT WOULD have been wall to wall following Friday night’s draw. Detailed analysis of the opposition, an itinerary and maps for the benefit of Brian’s army, interviews, perhaps the unveiling of a star columnist and closer scrutiny than ever of our Premiership players.

Ireland would have played their first match in Stuttgart, the site of the 1988 European Championship victory over England. What sort of mileage could we have got out of that? In all the excitement, few would have given a second thought to a sideshow such as last week’s FAI Cup final at Lansdowne Road, even if it did attract a crowd of 24,521. Brian Kerr will not appreciate the irony, but he will recognise as well than anybody that failure to qualify for the World Cup has had a favourable impact on the domestic game.

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Very good article.

i still think the FAI should take over the league ,, but 12 teams in the super league is ok. Great article though. I think the EL has finally gained recognition both in England and Ireland. Once an EL team breaks into the group stages of the CL/UC we will be laughing :D

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Originally Posted by thejollyrodger

I think the EL has finally gained recognition both in England and Ireland.

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Nowhere near it !! :( :mad: :o

go and read some of the newspapers

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Originally Posted by thejollyrodger

go and read some of the newspapers

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If it were left to people like you then we'd never be without people to sell the league short. The 'recognition' that you are on about is only a fraction of what it actually warrants, we are still the poor cousins and there is alot of ground to be made up until it is otherwise.

The only "recognition" we have got so far is that we have some great young players and they'll only cost you a fraction of their actual value.

what are you on about AFACE ? We have been getting recognition lately. The fact that Jayo is in talks about going to Djurgardens is another example. The fact of the matter is the EL used to get zero coverage. They didnt even bother print the league in the sunday tribune for chr1st sake. Of course there is a long way to go but its progress.

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Originally Posted by thejollyrodger

what are you on about AFACE ? We have been getting recognition lately. The fact that Jayo is in talks about going to Djurgardens is another example. The fact of the matter is the EL used to get zero coverage. They didnt even bother print the league in the sunday tribune for chr1st sake. Of course there is a long way to go but its progress.

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On a slightly OT but important note, has anyone noticed the massive difference in coverage of the league in the two new morning papers (Metro and Herald AM). The latter has little or no coverage of the league, don't think there is anything in there about Jayo's potential move, it is all United and Chelsea, while the Metro (apparently, I haven't seen it today) has a large back page story on the transfer.

It is something I have noticed recently, and have to say fair play to the Metro for its coverage. It hasn't gone unnoticed.

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Originally Posted by MrJoeSoap

It is something I have noticed recently, and have to say fair play to the Metro for its coverage. It hasn't gone unnoticed.

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I haven't read it at all but from what i hear, they seem to have a good attitude, not just on football but current affairs aswell ... is that right ??

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Originally Posted by thejollyrodger

what are you on about AFACE ? We have been getting recognition lately. The fact that Jayo is in talks about going to Djurgardens is another example. The fact of the matter is the EL used to get zero coverage. They didnt even bother print the league in the sunday tribune for chr1st sake. Of course there is a long way to go but its progress.

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My point Jolly is that it is nowhere near enough ... just because it has improved, doesnt mean it is adequate .... it is very much far from it. I wouldn't be singing the praises just yet, fair enough acknowledge it but dont not settle for it.

thats a fair enough point AFACE.

Irish TV schedulers and sports editors and pundits, Hookie and all, should write out 100 times:
'The final Eircom League game of the season four weeks ago was a television spectacular, bringing in an audience of 355,000, more than the numbers who sat down in front of the box for the Ireland v Australia rugby international played on the same weekend.'
When will they ever get it? Because their getting it is infinitely more to the point than the Genesis 'let's move some clubs around' solution.

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Originally Posted by BohDiddley

Irish TV schedulers and sports editors and pundits, Hookie and all, should write out 100 times:
'The final Eircom League game of the season four weeks ago was a television spectacular, bringing in an audience of 355,000, more than the numbers who sat down in front of the box for the Ireland v Australia rugby international played on the same weekend.'
When will they ever get it? Because their getting it is infinitely more to the point than the Genesis 'let's move some clubs around' solution.

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All that proves is your lack of understanding of TV viewing figures (not having a pop at you in particular, nearly everyone on here is the same) What's important is audience share not the raw figure. The Ireland/Australia game had a bigger share despite the smaller audience. Also, advertisers like people who watch rugby a lot more than us low life football fans.

Having said all that, the figures this year have been really good (and RTÉ are very happy with them) but throwing raw figures around like the FAI are doing won't fool schedulers or advertisers.

KOH

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Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

All that proves is your lack of understanding of TV viewing figures (not having a pop at you in particular, nearly everyone on here is the same) What's important is audience share not the raw figure. The Ireland/Australia game had a bigger share despite the smaller audience. Also, advertisers like people who watch rugby a lot more than us low life football fans.

Having said all that, the figures this year have been really good (and RTÉ are very happy with them) but throwing raw figures around like the FAI are doing won't fool schedulers or advertisers.

KOH

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sounds to me though, that both the Cork/ derry showdown and the cup final had bigger figures AND bigger audience share than most other football this year apart from the CL final and WC qualifiers - which means that people who do advertise to us low lifes should be interested

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Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

What's important is audience share not the raw figure.

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Are you saying that the figure is not correct cos people watch the game in pubs ?? Maybe so but that game, just got spanked be all Blacks and the time it was on too, were there many watching it in the pub.
Also the cup final .... there were a fair few pubs in Cork packed watching the game. Along with Derry game on last day ... but i know what you're getting at.

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Originally Posted by A face

I haven't read it at all but from what i hear, they seem to have a good attitude, not just on football but current affairs aswell ... is that right ??

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I can't say I have really noticed, sorry. I'll try keep an eye out over the next few days. They are certainly streets ahead of the Herald AM when it comes to EL thats for sure.

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Originally Posted by A face

Are you saying that the figure is not correct cos people watch the game in pubs ?? Maybe so but that game, just got spanked be all Blacks and the time it was on too, were there many watching it in the pub.
Also the cup final .... there were a fair few pubs in Cork packed watching the game. Along with Derry game on last day ... but i know what you're getting at.

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As I read it, he meant that while the Ireland v Australia rugby match had a lower actual figure, it was a higher percentage of the people watching TV at that time. eg 355,000 might've been 20% of viewers, whereas the 290,000 (or whatever the rugby got) might've been 40%.

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Originally Posted by Macy

As I read it, he meant that while the Ireland v Australia rugby match had a lower actual figure, it was a higher percentage of the people watching TV at that time. eg 355,000 might've been 20% of viewers, whereas the 290,000 (or whatever the rugby got) might've been 40%.

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That's it in a nutshell. I'll dig out the actual figures this afternoon. www.medialive.ie is a good site for figures. It's not fully up to date but you'll see the difference between audience share (TVR) and the actual numbers watching. Medialive is used by the advertising industry as a tool to decide where to advertise.

KOH

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Originally Posted by Macy

As I read it, he meant that while the Ireland v Australia rugby match had a lower actual figure, it was a higher percentage of the people watching TV at that time. eg 355,000 might've been 20% of viewers, whereas the 290,000 (or whatever the rugby got) might've been 40%.

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Ah yeah, i get ya ..... lads, this might be a dumb question but if i were advertising, wouldn't my interest be in getting as many people to see it as possible to get maximun exposure, i mean the audience share percentage might be higher, but doesn't that still mean there are less people watching it i.e. if the whole viewing figure was 1,000 people and 900 people watched the rugby .... that is still only 900 people, what good is 90% to ya then.

Audience shares are fine but surely less people watch tv on friday night than tuesday/wednesday night for CL games. Also i'm sure quiet low tv viewing audience on a sunday afternoon.

I'm sure the eL viewer is less attractive than CL or Rugby viewer BUT on a pure value for money viewpoint surely the eL is doing fairly well on viewer per €1000 spent?

IMO eircom are a useless sponsor for the eL as they clearly have no interest in associating themselves with the competition - when do they ever advertise alongside eL tv matches? Carlesberg as just as crap for FAI Cup.

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Originally Posted by pete

I'm sure the eL viewer is less attractive than CL or Rugby viewer BUT on a pure value for money viewpoint surely the eL is doing fairly well on viewer per €1000 spent?

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Yes, it is doing very well and, as I said, RTÉ are very happy with it. I was just pointing out that it's more than just raw figures that count. The other factor is that the more eL is shown, the better the figures look over a period of time, the better advertisers like us and the better RTÉ like us.

Agree with you about sponsors and would add the FAI in as well. They are claiming some kind of credit for the viewing figures when it has sod all to do with them or the sponsors. Bottom line is that things are looking up and RTÉ are beginning to wake up to domestic football's potential.

KOH

WAR, I think you can put away your audience slide rule. The main point being made, without getting into a knot over comparisons with egg-chasing, is that audiences generated by Irish football are not to be sneezed at, and that the kneejerk excuse beloved of most hacks and editors, that the EL generates no interest, is nonsense.
Given the brutal shallowness of thought of most of the advertising world, in which people are broken up into categories of income and 'class', to be 'delivered' to the client, there is of course something to be said for alickadoos being more affluent and all that, although more recently football has a much more universal appeal and the difference now probably exists more in memory than actuality. (No, it's tempting, but I won't go there ;) )
Much, much more than mere audience metrics, the bias in coverage that works against Irish football reflects the culture of the blazers who make the decisions in media and advertising organizations. And they, let's face it, are more likely to be from rugby schools, even if those same schools lately are busy building soccer teams.

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Originally Posted by BohDiddley

WAR, I think you can put away your audience slide rule. The main point being made, without getting into a knot over comparisons with egg-chasing, is that audiences generated by Irish football are not to be sneezed at, and that the kneejerk excuse beloved of most hacks and editors, that the EL generates no interest, is nonsense.

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That's pretty much what I said in my last post - Yes, it is doing very well and, as I said, RTÉ are very happy with it. I was just pointing out that it's more than just raw figures that count. The other factor is that the more eL is shown, the better the figures look over a period of time, the better advertisers like us and the better RTÉ like us.

KOH

I think this season has proven that there is reliable year round tv audience for eL football when shown on a regular basis. Sure even Longford v Waterford got 50k on TG4 which would have been one of least attractive games. I think it tv coverage continue like this for next few years it will create a new audience for eL football although i think these people will be slow to attend games as feel facilities not good enough.

In terms of competition i think EPL & GAA coverage interest has peaked with Rugby on the decline so good opportunities for the eL going forward.