The Australian Football League's best season on record "translated into a massive financial windfall for the competition," according to Denham & Smith of THE AUSTRALIAN. The league was expected to announce '17 -- the first year of the new six-year broadcast rights deal -- produced a record A$60M profit. The AFL "smashed almost every key performance indicator." Crowds were up 7%, members up 4%, viewership increased by 3%, participation rose by 10% and the digital audience was up 4%. The AFL "left the other football codes in its wake." The National Rugby League’s '17 loss took its total losses over the past three years to A$14M. During that same time, the AFL recorded a profit of A$44.7M, which includes a A$17.8M loss in '16 "due to buying Etihad Stadium and establishing an elite women’s competition." The AFL's record revenue of A$650M was up A$133M on the previous year. The extraordinary profit "came in a year when player payments were increased" up to 20% to A$253M, a rise from A$231.3M the previous year. The "huge" profit was "boosted" by the increased book value of Etihad Stadium, purchased at the end of '16. Two-thirds of the 18 clubs recorded increased home attendances, while three clubs -- Richmond (for the fourth time), Essendon and Collingwood -- "each attracted more than one million fans" to their 22 home and away games. The league’s record overall attendance figure last year of 7,276,499 was "largely achieved because of the resurgence of the Tigers," which attracted a record 1,314,058 fans through the turnstiles to their 25 games (THE AUSTRALIAN, 3/23).
