- The NRL Grand Final 2024 day has kicked off at Accor Stadium
- Thousands have arrived early to take part in the footy action
- They have revealed a major difference from the television experience
Footy fans who arrived early for the 2024 NRL Grand Final have revealed they will have a very different view of the match between the Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm than those watching at home.
Thousands of supporters have started to fill Accor Stadium in Sydney’s west to watch the earlier matches, including the NRL State Championship and the NRLW grand final.
They posted footage from their seats at the venue, showing a key difference from Channel 9’s television coverage: no advertising markings on the pitch.
This is because Channel 9 uses dynamic or virtual advertising on the field, where the billboards on the field are placed over the broadcast image.
So instead of spraying the logos on the grass, they digitally add them to the broadcast image. The only logos on the field are the NRL finals logo, main sponsor Telstra and a Visit NSW government promotion at the halfway point plus the line markings.
The reason virtual advertising was originally used was because relentless rain ahead of a State of Origin match in 2010 made traditional painted advertising impossible.
“We literally couldn’t get the paint on the ground,” former NRL general manager of commercial and marketing Paul Kind said at the time.
“Harvey Norman paid a significant fee to have it delivered nationally to an audience of more than three million people, but it flowed.
“We were supposed to have eight boards for that game. We only delivered one, and it was not of very good quality.’
An NRL fan posted this image on social media, showing the lack of advertising on the Accor Stadium pitch on grand final day
Channel 9’s broadcast shows the virtual adverts for KFC and Westpac which fans on the ground cannot see
That led the league to explore the digital option and in 2013 virtual advertising was used for the first time in an NRL match in a clash between Manly Sea Eagles and Canterbury Bulldogs.
“What virtual signage gives us is guaranteed clarity on every logo, regardless of the weather and the wear and tear of the stadium,” Kind said.
‘If you sell sponsorship money, that is very important.’
The 2024 virtual advertising will be provided by a small New Zealand company called nzDisco, run by engineer Daniel Klinac.
Thousands of NRL fans have arrived early for 2024 NRL Grand Final between the Melbourne Storm and the Penrith Panthers
The footy fans who make the trek to the Accor Stadium don’t have to worry about advertising
The operation is carried out remotely in real time from a specially designed broadcast center.
‘Our first RBC (Remote Broadcast Center) can manage up to 4cam productions remotely, with all the bells and whistles. Duplex communications, audio mixing, live CG, etc… within a fully redundant integration,” Klinac posted earlier this year.
“We also process and manage all virtual advertising integrations for all NRL and SuperRugby matches for the 2024 season. Lots of knowledge and smart technology.”
Some NRL fans at the grand final are even calling for more digital advertising after earning top dollar but having limited visibility at Accor Stadium.
‘Whose smart idea was to have billboards so that in row 4 (non-restricted view) at the @NRL Grand Final you can’t even see the try line, let alone you can’t see it when you get to row 18 go? the dead ball line,” asked a very upset fan.
‘Advertising should never get in the way of the game.’
But not every footy fan was impressed, with some calling for the old-fashioned painted markings to be returned
‘Unbelievable, it’s only a small part of the day, but it is meaningful. If that makes sense, lol,” one NRL fan wrote.
“It was so cool to see the Sharkies logo on the field when they were there.”
