Most Popular NRL 2024 Team: Club Memberships
In this series we will be throwing the numbers at you from all different categories that could affect one's decision on who the most popular NRL team is. There are many factors that have to go in play here, from match attendance, memberships, net revenue and social media followings.
This is mission impossible, but it is a journey that our experts at Aussiebets are willing to take on, in popular opinion or not. We will get to the bottom of who is the most popular team in the NRL.
We will be focusing on the present, not who was the most popular in the 90's, who has the best following in the NRL in 2024.
NRL Club Memberships: Which Team is the most popular in the NRL?
A great source of income for the clubs is obviously selling team memberships at all different prices giving a variety of members access to games, reserved seat, discounts and merchandise. A membership drive is truly one of the best ways to indicate which teams are the most popular by how many people lay down their hard earned cash, most often year after year, to support their team.
2023 NRL Club Memberships
| Team | 2023 Membership Sales | 2022 Membership Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | 40,207 | 30,221 |
| Souths | 31,997 | 31,014 |
| Melbourne | 32,000 | 35,689 |
| Dolphins | 30,000 | N/A |
| Canberra | 24,060 | 22,479 |
| Canterbury | 22,000 | 16,934 |
| North Qld | 20,513 | 16,114 |
| Wests Tigers | 20,003 | 20,741 |
| Sydney | 20,072 | 18,411 |
| Newcastle | 19,992 | 19,232 |
| Manly | 16,332 | 12,970 |
| Cronulla | 14,384 | 13,000 |
| St George | 21,124 | 19,103 |
| Gold Coast | 13,124 | N/S |
| Parramatta | 35,015 | 33,927 |
| Penrith | 21,525 | N/S |
| Warriors | N/S | N/S |
After dissecting the above figures our AussieBets team has rated the most popular NRL clubs heading into 2024, based on membership sales.
1) Brisbane Broncos
It is hard to argue with the top figure on the list, especially when it is by such a substantial amount and such a drastic increase from the season before. The Broncos 40,207 members is over 5,000 more than their nearest rivals the Parramatta Eels and just under 10,000 more paying members than they had the previous season. This influx of members is despite a new Brisbane team entering the NRL in 2024 playing out of their home stadium half of the time as well.
2) Melbourne Storm
Melbourne do have the luxury of being the only NRL team from the state of Victoria, however, they are competing with nine AFL teams that call Melbourne and its outskirts home. The Storm did have a slight dip in membership in 2023 from 2022, but have been very diligent in building up their fan base in a very competitive sporting market.
3) Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels have always had one of the strongest fan bases in the NRL and are arguably the most followed club in the Sydney area. Their 35,015 members was the most of any NSW club in 2023, and they have held that record for the previous 3 seasons. Parramatta fans are some of the most passionate of the bunch and have always shown their support through membership sales.
4) Dolphins
Amazingly enough the Dolphins membership drive was the best in the games history for a club entering the NRL. Although there is not an official number, it was advertised that the Dolphins reached the 30,000 member mark in their inaugural season in the NRL. Considering their neighboring team the Broncos topped the list the city of Brisbane had more to give and the support of Wayne Bennet and the Dolphins was a great story that will go down in the history books.
5) South Sydney Rabbitohs
The Bunnies have recorded over 30,000 fans over the previous 3 seasons and only the Parramatta Eels can match those numbers. Peaking at 35,311 members in 2015, Souths did hava a slight decline for a few years, however with the addition of some influential players and a reshuffle in the front office their sales has increased sinced the 2019 season. The Rabbitohs 31,997 was the fourth most of any club in 2023 and has them fifth on our list.