Latest news with #AFL-aligned
Sydney Morning Herald
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Not a mainstream sport': Stokes-owned WA media gives State of Origin sex ad snub
He referred to a lack of league coverage on the WA Today website – owned by Nine Entertainment, publisher of this masthead. There were two rugby league stories on its home page when checked in the afternoon. 'Mate, the obsession with how The West covers league is ludicrous,' Dore said. 'No one outside of rugby league writers in Sydney cares. If you have any doubts about that, check out your own local website WA Today right now. See how you go finding Origin or Bears yarns. The point is rugby league is simply not a mainstream sport in this town. 'Just the facts. Good on them for having a crack here. We have nothing against the game despite the carry-on from [Peter] V'landys acolytes in the Sydney media about our coverage. It's just not remotely main game and never will be. Mate, I edited the Tele (The Daily Telegraph) and the Courier-Mail – I'm a Queenslander. 'If we had a league readership here, we would be covering it. In the paper today. Do you think a game of rugby league between two interstate teams is more relevant to WA readers than what we placed in the valuable space available in our sport section?' The lack of coverage in WA newspapers is in stark contrast to the attention State of Origin received in Perth on its previous two ventures into Western Australia. In 2022, the local newspaper rallied behind the game and even included a photo of the Blues' win on the front page of the paper the day after the match. In the lead-up to the first Origin game in Perth in 2019, the newspaper ran a story headlined: 'Why the time is right for rugby league to plant a flag and start a new NRL team in Perth'. The mood around rugby league in Perth has since changed as Stokes has come to terms with the threat the code poses to the AFL – the sporting product his media company invests so heavily in. Of the 60,000 fans expected at Optus Stadium, 47,000 of them are locals, with an estimated 13,000 fans having travelled interstate for the game. This columnist has been in Perth since Monday and has observed strong support from the locals towards the Bears and rugby league. Australian cricket legend Mitchell Johnson, who lives in Perth, spoke strongly about the local interest in rugby league when chatting off-air before he appeared on Freddie and the Eighth on Tuesday. You wouldn't know it judging by the local newspaper or Channel Seven, who recently ordered Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie to be cut out of shots at the announcement of Mal Meninga as the inaugural coach. The Seven West Media snub comes after The West Australian ran the front-page headline 'Bad News Bears' on the morning of the team's official announcement last month. The bad blood between the AFL-aligned Seven West Media and the NRL has been exacerbated by Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys' decision to poach the company's national news director De Ceglie as the Bears CEO. Loading De Ceglie has declined to get into a slanging match with his previous bosses at Seven West Media, where he worked for both Channel Seven and The West Australian. 'The Perth Bears are looking forward to earning the respect of WA sports lovers and earning our right to be in the sports pages of The West Australian alongside the AFL teams,' he said on Wednesday. 'If we're winning on the park and off the park, if fans are turning up to our games and we've created a club that stands for strong values then the newspaper hopefully has to cover us. If we're doing these things and they're still not covering us, then the only people missing out will be the readers. 'It's not that Perth is an AFL state. Perth is a sports state. West Australians love sport. They love Aussie rules, tennis, basketball and NRL. They show up to all sports and are passionate about all sports. There's no rule that says you can't barrack for an AFL team and an NRL team.'
Sydney Morning Herald
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Local media snubbed it. But Origin just out-rated AFL in Perth
Perth has embraced State of Origin, with more television viewers tuning in to game II than both AFL matches played at the same venue over the weekend combined. Queensland's thrilling 26-24 win at Optus Stadium was the highest-rating game II since 2015, pulling a total audience of 3.751 million – a 17.5 per cent increase year-on-year. That figure was a smidgen lower than the 3.755 million that tuned in for the opening game, which remains the highest-rating program of the year. However, the most encouraging result for league bosses was the response in the west. Despite being almost totally snubbed by the AFL-aligned West Australian newspaper – owned by Kerry Stokes' Seven West Media, which broadcasts AFL – the match recorded the highest-ever TV total audience for an Origin match in Perth. The locals voted with their TV remotes, with 190,000 tuning in across Perth to watch the Maroons send the series to a decider. That was on top of the 57,023 fans that packed into Optus Stadium, just shy of the venue's 61,266 capacity. To put those viewing figures into context, 82,000 viewers tuned into the North Melbourne-Fremantle clash at Optus on Saturday night via free-to-air on the Seven Network. On Sunday, 90,000 watched West Coast Eagles-Carlton on Seven (those figures don't include Kayo/Fox viewership). 'The incredible match was the perfect showcase for rugby league in the state and the excitement we want to bring sporting fans with the Perth Bears,' said Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie. 'I was fortunate to spend a lot of time among the fans with [Bears coach] Mal Meninga and the buzz about the Bears was simply electric. Sports fans can't wait.' Origin II also recorded a streaming audience of 957,000 on 9Now, up 29.5 per cent year-on-year. The total reach for the match was 5.467 million.
The Age
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Local media snubbed it. But Origin just out-rated AFL in Perth
Perth has embraced State of Origin, with more television viewers tuning in to game II than both AFL matches played at the same venue over the weekend combined. Queensland's thrilling 26-24 win at Optus Stadium was the highest-rating game II since 2015, pulling a total audience of 3.751 million – a 17.5 per cent increase year-on-year. That figure was a smidgen lower than the 3.755 million that tuned in for the opening game, which remains the highest-rating program of the year. However, the most encouraging result for league bosses was the response in the west. Despite being almost totally snubbed by the AFL-aligned West Australian newspaper – owned by Kerry Stokes' Seven West Media, which broadcasts AFL – the match recorded the highest-ever TV total audience for an Origin match in Perth. The locals voted with their TV remotes, with 190,000 tuning in across Perth to watch the Maroons send the series to a decider. That was on top of the 57,023 fans that packed into Optus Stadium, just shy of the venue's 61,266 capacity. To put those viewing figures into context, 82,000 viewers tuned into the North Melbourne-Fremantle clash at Optus on Saturday night via free-to-air on the Seven Network. On Sunday, 90,000 watched West Coast Eagles-Carlton on Seven (those figures don't include Kayo/Fox viewership). 'The incredible match was the perfect showcase for rugby league in the state and the excitement we want to bring sporting fans with the Perth Bears,' said Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie. 'I was fortunate to spend a lot of time among the fans with [Bears coach] Mal Meninga and the buzz about the Bears was simply electric. Sports fans can't wait.' Origin II also recorded a streaming audience of 957,000 on 9Now, up 29.5 per cent year-on-year. The total reach for the match was 5.467 million.
The Age
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘Not a mainstream sport': Stokes-owned WA media gives State of Origin sex ad snub
He referred to a lack of league coverage on the WA Today website – owned by Nine Entertainment, publisher of this masthead. There were two rugby league stories on its home page when checked in the afternoon. 'Mate, the obsession with how The West covers league is ludicrous,' Dore said. 'No one outside of rugby league writers in Sydney cares. If you have any doubts about that, check out your own local website WA Today right now. See how you go finding Origin or Bears yarns. The point is rugby league is simply not a mainstream sport in this town. 'Just the facts. Good on them for having a crack here. We have nothing against the game despite the carry-on from [Peter] V'landys acolytes in the Sydney media about our coverage. It's just not remotely main game and never will be. Mate, I edited the Tele (The Daily Telegraph) and the Courier-Mail – I'm a Queenslander. 'If we had a league readership here, we would be covering it. In the paper today. Do you think a game of rugby league between two interstate teams is more relevant to WA readers than what we placed in the valuable space available in our sport section?' The lack of coverage in WA newspapers is in stark contrast to the attention State of Origin received in Perth on its previous two ventures into Western Australia. In 2022, the local newspaper rallied behind the game and even included a photo of the Blues' win on the front page of the paper the day after the match. In the lead-up to the first Origin game in Perth in 2019, the newspaper ran a story headlined: 'Why the time is right for rugby league to plant a flag and start a new NRL team in Perth'. The mood around rugby league in Perth has since changed as Stokes has come to terms with the threat the code poses to the AFL – the sporting product his media company invests so heavily in. Of the 60,000 fans expected at Optus Stadium, 47,000 of them are locals, with an estimated 13,000 fans having travelled interstate for the game. This columnist has been in Perth since Monday and has observed strong support from the locals towards the Bears and rugby league. Australian cricket legend Mitchell Johnson, who lives in Perth, spoke strongly about the local interest in rugby league when chatting off-air before he appeared on Freddie and the Eighth on Tuesday. You wouldn't know it judging by the local newspaper or Channel Seven, who recently ordered Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie to be cut out of shots at the announcement of Mal Meninga as the inaugural coach. The Seven West Media snub comes after The West Australian ran the front-page headline 'Bad News Bears' on the morning of the team's official announcement last month. The bad blood between the AFL-aligned Seven West Media and the NRL has been exacerbated by Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys' decision to poach the company's national news director De Ceglie as the Bears CEO. Loading De Ceglie has declined to get into a slanging match with his previous bosses at Seven West Media, where he worked for both Channel Seven and The West Australian. 'The Perth Bears are looking forward to earning the respect of WA sports lovers and earning our right to be in the sports pages of The West Australian alongside the AFL teams,' he said on Wednesday. 'If we're winning on the park and off the park, if fans are turning up to our games and we've created a club that stands for strong values then the newspaper hopefully has to cover us. If we're doing these things and they're still not covering us, then the only people missing out will be the readers. 'It's not that Perth is an AFL state. Perth is a sports state. West Australians love sport. They love Aussie rules, tennis, basketball and NRL. They show up to all sports and are passionate about all sports. There's no rule that says you can't barrack for an AFL team and an NRL team.'
The Age
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Stokes-owned WA media gives State of Origin sex ad snub
The mood around rugby league in Perth has since changed as Stokes come to terms with the threat rugby league poses to the AFL - the sporting product his media company invests so heavily in. Of the 60,000 fans expected at Optus Stadium, 54,000 of them are locals with just 6000 fans travelling interstate for the game. This columnist has been in Perth since Monday and the support from the locals towards the Bears and rugby league has been an eye-opener. Australian Queensland cricket legend Mitchell Johnson, who now lives in Perth, spoke strongly about the interest in rugby league from the locals when chatting off-air before he appeared on Freddie and the Eighth on Tuesday. You wouldn't know it judging by the local newspaper or Channel Seven, who recently ordered Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie to be cut out of shots at the announcement of Mal Meninga as the inaugural coach. The Seven West Media snub comes after the 'Bad news Bears' headline they whacked on the front page of the newspaper on the morning of the team's official announcement last month. The bad blood between the AFL-aligned Seven West Media and the NRL has been exacerbated by Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys' decision to poach the company's national news director De Ceglie as the Bears CEO. De Ceglie has declined to get into a slanging match with his previous bosses at Seven West Media, where he worked for both Channel Seven and The West Australian newspaper. 'The Perth Bears are looking forward to earning the respect of WA sports lovers and earning our right to be in the sports pages of The West Australian alongside the AFL teams,' he said on Wednesday. 'If we're winning on the park and off the park, if fans are turning up to our games and we've created a club that stands for strong values then the newspaper hopefully has to cover us. If we're doing these things and they're still not covering us then the only people missing out will be the readers. 'It's not that Perth is an AFL state. Perth is a sports state. West Australians love sport. They love Aussie Rules, tennis, basketball and NRL. They show up to all sports and are passionate about all sports. There's no rule that says you can't barrack for an AFL team and an NRL team.' The West Australian newspaper editor Chris Dore did not respond to this masthead's attempts to contact him. In a recent statement sent to the ABC's Media Watch program, Dore rubbished suggestions that his publication was acting in the best interest of the AFL. Loading 'The idea that somehow our coverage at The West Australian is dictated, or even remotely influenced, by some fanciful proposition that a rugby league team in Perth would diminish the AFL and therefore somehow have a financial impact on the broadcaster is laughable,' Dore wrote. 'It also misses the point that the NRL are desperate for Seven to be a bidder for the free-to-air rights when they next come up – before the Bears play their first game.'
