Expand International Reach
Much like the NFL in the United States, elite-level Aussie rules remain confined within one country, which limits the sport’s ability to expand its fanbase overseas. But while the NFL has made significant strides in recent years bolstering its international profile, AFL is still seen by many as a strange and confusing game just for Australians. By following in the footsteps of the NFL, AFL may be able to increase its international audience. The magic of AFL is truly in the live spectacle therefore, hosting exhibition matches in countries with a growing interest in the sport such as the US, South Africa and the UK is a great marketing strategy helping to increase international exposure. Furthermore, signing international broadcasting deals with industry leading channels like Sky, ESPN and Supersport will enable people from all over the world to watch AFL from the comfort of their own homes. Securing television deals will not only expand the audience of the sport, but as we’ve seen with soccer, generate huge revenues that can then be pumped back in. Generating these funds is integral for further developing grassroots programs to encourage people to get playing as well as watching.
Lucrative Sponsorships
Having solid financial backing is integral for a sport when trying to expand its reach and appeal to new markets. Sponsorship is money, and securing sponsors from major brands can fund large-scale advertising campaigns, both domestically and internationally, to raise awareness of AFL. These campaigns can include TV commercials, social media promotions, and influencer partnerships all highlighting the excitement of the sport. AFL is surrounded by an extremely popular betting culture therefore, securing casino sponsorships is an obvious route, with the partnership making sense for both parties. They could consider a deal with a trusted site like Onlinecasino.co.nz who analyse the best iGaming platforms out there. Just look at the English Premier League, where gambling brands continue to dominate shirt sponsorships with 35% of teams partnering up with leading companies.
Looking Inward
Despite the obvious popularity of AFL within Australia, there remains huge chunks of the population that don’t engage with the sport. As one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse countries anywhere on the planet, decision-makers should be developing targeted marketing campaigns to try and attract some of these diverse communities into participation. Creating content in multiple languages could help those who don’t speak English as a first language to engage while creating outreach programs to areas where the game isn’t as popular could help drive further interest. This has been seen already with significant engagement with the Indigenous communities of Australia. Around 9% of the AFL roster identifies as Indigenous, three times higher than the national population of 3%. This shows by engaging with communities within the country, fanbases can be increased and AFL could soon stand alone as the number one sport in the country.
Engage with the Youth
Getting the youth onside is necessary for ensuring the long-term popularity of the sport. While AFL is currently popular amongst children, with live games well established as a family-friendly affair, other sports, most notably soccer, are starting to take favour with many Australian kids. Ensuring effective grassroots and children’s programs are being developed is key in helping to hone a love and enjoyment of the game from an early age. Another aspect of engaging with younger audiences is to embrace digital environments and social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Platforms such as these are increasingly the go-to destination for content, news and entertainment for younger audiences. Strengthening the presence of AFL on these sites will help to attract and maintain these audiences, helping to grow AFL membership numbers. As the online space becomes more and more a part of our everyday lives, it is vital that AFL doesn’t get left behind.
There is no doubting that AFL is already on an upward trajectory when it comes to its audience fanbase. Several of the traditionally rugby league areas on the East Coast are slowly but surely starting to tune in to AFL games highlighting a general increase in the popularity of the sport. Youth participation, especially amongst girls is also on the rise pointing to a promising future for AFL. The hardest nut to crack remains the international stage and for now, it seems very much that Aussie rule will stay uniquely Aussie.
