Sneaky broadcasters have been caught trying to hide dwindling crowds at NRL games by using old footage of full stands of cheering fans.
With the average crowd for Sydney NRL games this year falling to a little over 13,000, desperate producers have resorted to mixing in video of better days.
One such cover-up occurred due to dismal numbers at the Dragons versus Rabbitohs derby at the SCG a fortnight ago.
Sneaky broadcasters have been caught trying to hide dwindling crowds at NRL games (pictured) by using old footage of full stands of cheering fans
With the average crowd for Sydney NRL games this year falling to a little over 13,000, desperate producers have resorted to mixing in video of better days (pictured)
So few people were at the ground for the South Sydney St George Illawarra clash the game was almost completely devoid of atmosphere, Seven News reported.
The average crowd for NRL games in Sydney in 2017 is only 13,381, dipping to 10,548 on Friday nights and 9,792 on for Thursday night matches.
These numbers leave venues such as ANZ Stadium, which holds 83,500 people, and the SCG which holds 46,000, looking mostly empty.
Peak hour traffic and poor scheduling are being blamed for the worsening crowd crisis, as fans struggle to attend games with 6pm starts.
One such cover-up occurred due to dismal numbers at the Dragons versus Rabbitohs derby at the SCG a fortnight ago (pictured)
‘The game’s got to have a good look at what they’re doing in and around the scheduling, I think if they get that right you’ll see a lot more people sitting in the stands,’ said Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire.
Others accuse both clubs and the sport’s governing body of putting TV ratings before crowds, leaving games to be contested in front of empty stadiums.
Some Sydney clubs are responding by asking for their members to be given free tickets to away games, hoping it will boost attendances across the board.
South Sydney have been letting kids enter free, and for one game gave flags away to the first thousand spectators to enter the gates of ANZ Stadium.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Channel Nine and Fox Sports for comment.
Some accuse both clubs and the sport’s governing body of putting TV ratings before crowds, leaving games to be contested in front of empty stadiums (pictured)
South Sydney have been letting kids enter free, and for one game gave flags away to the first thousand spectators to enter the gates of ANZ Stadium (pictured)