Millions tune in for Origin decider
8 July 2004

A national audience of just under 3.4 million viewers has seen the Harvey Norman State of Origin Series claim the top three most watched programs to date in 2004 across NSW and Queensland.

Across the Nine Network’s five capital city coverage and the Win and NBN regional networks, a total viewing audience 3,382,614 tuned in (from kick off to full time) to see the Wizard Blues take the series decider.

The peak viewing figure across all markets reached 3,785,875 viewers.

The 2004 Harvey Norman State of Origin Series also set a new attendance record of 203,309, up 19,627 on last year’s record.



In Sydney the match averaged 1,058,827 viewers on the Nine Network and in Brisbane it attracted 783,106 viewers.

Despite late night replays in southern states, an average of 192,581 viewers watched across Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth with a peak of 211,000 viewers in Melbourne.

“It has been an incredible series and it has again shown Rugby League as the most watched event of any kind in NSW and Queensland,” Colin Love, ARL chairman said today.

“As the Harvey Norman State of Origin series enters its 25th anniversary year in 2005 it remains firmly entrenched as one of this country’s greatest sporting events and the most successful representative series of any football code over that time.

“The Australian Rugby League would like to acknowledge the contributions of the players, the fans, the sponsors and the NRL clubs who have all contributed to make it such an outstanding success.”


Brought to you by NRL
http://www.nrl.com.au


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argh too bad i wasnt one of them... my boss made me work! :bash:
but my gf was keeping me updated through sms'
GO THE BLUES!!!

ps. top 3 spots for now... but will definitley been ovetaken by the Olympics, AFL grand final, NRL grand final etc.

The NRL Grand Final won't come anywhere near that (it didn't last year) and I thought last years AFL GF drew around 3.3 million nationally.
Bloody amazing figures. The QLD and NSW numbers are no larger than game 2, but the Southern States lifted the bottom line.

Excellent ratings for an event that only applies to two states. The game was also live in Canberra and Darwin.

As for the AFL states, those ratings were impressive especially since it was a delayed broadcast plus the fact it was on very late at night (10pm in Melbourne and 10:30 elsewhere). It must of won the slot as well.

This was the first year I watched all three games of the origin series as well. I look forward to seeing it all again from my comfort of my room next year. Go NSW

This affirms State of Origin as the nations premier sporting rivalry!!!!!

Excellent ratings for an event that only applies to two states. The game was also live in Canberra and Darwin.

As for the AFL states, those ratings were impressive especially since it was a delayed broadcast plus the fact it was on very late at night (10pm in Melbourne and 10:30 elsewhere). It must of won the slot as well.

This was the first year I watched all three games of the origin series as well. I look forward to seeing it all again from my comfort of my room next year. Go NSW

This affirms State of Origin as the nations premier sporting rivalry!!!!!
Get your'e hand off it Fabian its only played by two states.
Considering the AFL GF is played outside prime time on a saturday arvo it rates sensationally Nationwide .The Melbourne Cup also rates hugely for a non holiday week day excepting Victoria.

yeah thats because everyone gets to have a lunch time piss-up at work:):)

Get your'e hand off it Fabian its only played by two states.
Considering the AFL GF is played outside prime time on a saturday arvo it rates sensationally Nationwide .The Melbourne Cup also rates hugely for a non holiday week day excepting Victoria.


bearbrass, you are a sad, pathetic joke. You are a hypocrit to the max, so unbelievably melbourne centred its beyond a joke, and just really embarrasing!
Your posts actually really get to me! The never-ending supply of pro-melbourne articles you post on the forum that noone really gives a flying fuck about, your trademark 'thats great news for Australia!' comment when something good happens in melbourne, and your constant putting down of other cities and skewing of information (exhibit A^) in order to derive some wierd view that everything Melbourne is superior.. When you say something posotive about another city (rare occurence) its only to try to prove that you can say something nice about another city, and you really make a point of it.

you are a looooser to the max!

you come across like that too in some posts

you come across like that too in some posts

urrm, i know that i dont mean to and i am 99% sure that i do not come across like bearbrass, you must be imagining it. I think you are being a bit unfair.

I know that you have recently become the mature person who sits on the fence, but you havent always been like that. People change! I may have come across like that in the past, but if i did it was a long time ago...

bearbrass, you are a sad, pathetic joke. You are a hypocrit to the max, so unbelievably melbourne centred its beyond a joke, and just really embarrasing!
Your posts actually really get to me! The never-ending supply of pro-melbourne articles you post on the forum that noone really gives a flying fuck about, your trademark 'thats great news for Australia!' comment when something good happens in melbourne, and your constant putting down of other cities and skewing of information (exhibit A^) in order to derive some wierd view that everything Melbourne is superior.. When you say something posotive about another city (rare occurence) its only to try to prove that you can say something nice about another city, and you really make a point of it.

you are a looooser to the max!
Good to see you still get suckered in by me You are the one that should get a life mate!
I will never not be "pro Melbourne" as you put it and dont you think its a bit rich coming from someone os Sydney centric like you and most of the other "worlds greatest city" posters from sincity?
Easy to fix, if you dont like my posts DONT BLOODY READ THEM if they get under your skin so much.

:kiss: and make up, the both of you.

I'm annoyed that we have to watch Shane Crawford strut around nude rather than see State of Origin, which, were it on at it's regular time I could watch in sync with Roy & HG's call on Triple J, but for two years now (in Launceston and now Melbourne) it's been a late night game.

I'm annoyed that we have to watch Shane Crawford strut around nude rather than see State of Origin, which, were it on at it's regular time I could watch in sync with Roy & HG's call on Triple J, but for two years now (in Launceston and now Melbourne) it's been a late night game.
Thats because it (SOO)RL dosent rate in prime time in the southern capitals and CH 9 a'rent about to give the other channels a free kick.

*tsk tsk*

turns into another Syd vs Melb thread haha

yeh putting the State of Origin primetime in southern states just wouldnt work.

It would be the same if you put an AFL SOO = SA vs VIC on prime time up here... noone would care!

Good to see you still get suckered in by me You are the one that should get a life mate!
I will never not be "pro Melbourne" as you put it and dont you think its a bit rich coming from someone os Sydney centric like you and most of the other "worlds greatest city" posters from sincity?
Easy to fix, if you dont like my posts DONT BLOODY READ THEM if they get under your skin so much.

1) YOU are the one who needs to get a life if you get some sick pleasure by 'suckering people in' with your stupidass comments.
2) Your comments about me being a Sydney-Centric would work very well for your argument if they had an ounce of substance. Unfortunately for you they dont, as I am NOT a Sydney centric.
3) I cant help but be annoyed every time I read one of your sad, pathetic posts or comments. Even something I would regard as normal, when posted by you, is tainted by your extreme Melbourne-centredness and basic looosserrrness. So in conclusion, I am now putting you, along with B1 on my ignore list. cya looser! :)

I think theres a number of forumers who most people agree lack credibility so whenever they post something extrememly PRO their city, whether its in or out of context, then most often they go unchallenged because most of us don't give a shit. You guys know who you are !!! ;)
I think I'm still very Melbourne biased but living in Syd for the last 3 months I am mellowing out a bit. I still think that Bris and Melb have the forumers who are still the most biased whilst Syd, Perth, Adel and NZers are pretty good I think ????

I think what Fabian meant when he said that the biggest rivallary in sport occurs in the State of Origin, is that its a two team rivallary which has no equal for rivallary.

Every year, its NSW v QLD. And I stand corrected, but its almost a 50/50 split with the success of each in the history of State of origin.

I'm trying to think of other teams from any sporting code in Australia that has a rivallary as intense as NSW v QLD in State of Origin. I have thought of a few below, but I don't think any of them could match up to NSW v QLD.

Collingwood v Carlton, AFL. This is a big rivallary. The crowds have always been huge, but the ratings probably not so. Its two Melbourne clubs which have a big rivallary in Melbourne, but no-where else.

Collingwood v Essendon, AFL. As above, however, the ANZAC Day clash has seen this rivallarly grow in stature. But again, its two clubs as opposed to two states.

Port Adelaide v Adelaide Crows. This is huge in SA. But again, it only has interest in one state

SA v VIC, AFL. This was big (moreso in SA), but it's now dead. People lost interest.

NSW v VIC, Cricket. It doesnt get the crowds that State of origin does.

NSW v QLD, Cricket. As above.

Australia v England, Cricket. Big as you can get, but it involves another country, so it cannot count, because we are talking internally.

Australia v NZ, Rugby Union. As above.

So I agree with Fabian in this instance. NSW v QLD in State of Origin would be the biggest rivallary that Australia has internally in sport.

Hate to tell you, but people in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia & the Northern Territory don't give too hoots about theis game! That is why its not on Prime Time because it wouldn't rate well!

It was aired live in the NT :)

Fabian, are you trying to tell us we gave a shit? Seriously, we didn't, I didn't even know it was on. I'm not exactly crying over missing it either...

is it union of league?

Yob, just like we regard the AFL flag as the ultimate, alot of NSWers and QLDers regard the Stae of Origin as the ultimate...to them it is often more important than winning the flag.

Yob, just like we regard the AFL flag as the ultimate, alot of NSWers and QLDers regard the Stae of Origin as the ultimate...to them it is often more important than winning the flag.

Bugger off, the SANFL flag is the most coveted sporting prize in the country.

Well then Centrals are the most coveted team in the country then hey.

:)

3.4 million viewers!! That pretty incredible considering only 2 states ( and the ACT) are major supporters of the game.

Considering NSW, QLD and ACT already make up 54% of the Australian population and with this % set to increase over the next 50 years(check the latest AUST Bureau of Statistics population projections) the supporter base for league (compared to other codes) is looking healthy and these ratings figures can only increase over time

The sleeping giant of all the football codes is Soccer - if it finally gets its act together.

^ I agree.

Well apparently it will with the Premier League.

But I have heard that all before. What Australia needs to do is get a berth in a world cup and then take it from there. Hosting one would be sensational. But unfortunately FIFA regards Australia as a bit of a football backwater and will therefore give no favours to Australia the way they do to the USA.