Super League is in some ways struggling as future media deals to maintain the competition's financial situation are uncertain. Clubs are dependent on owners to balance the books which is not uncommon in sports generally. Hopefully, SL clubs can continue to rely on such benefactors.
Crowd support is an important part of a club's earnings so how are the numbers in 2025 compared with 2024? They are up 8.4% which is impressive although it does come with some provisos, which will be mentioned as we go along.
Winners: Wigan is top of the list with a 19,300 average, up 29.3%. They did get a boost playing a game in Las Vegas but even without that, they have done really well. Hull FC is much improved in terms of performance and the supporters are responding with the attendance average up 10.8%.
Wakefield returned to the top flight and they also have a nicely refurbished stadium. These two factors have pushed spectator numbers up 41.6% compared to their crowd numbers in the Championship (division 2). The fact that they replaced London means the increase against that club is 150.5% which does add an unavoidable distortion in 2025.
Losers: Not the same number of candidates. In terms of attendees, Castleford is the disappointment. Their on field performances are at their usual not too successful standards. Has near neighbour Wakefield's improved situation left them feeling neglected?
Salford has been sailing close to the wind financially and without a well heeled backer to rely upon things came to a head in 2025. Unable to play their strongest roster due to restrictions and gradually offloading good players they should never had signed in the first place has affected performances.
Yet the fans have been remarkably loyal, but the club stopped reporting attendances during the season. I had to estimate and gave them 4,000 per game not reported for a 11.6% drop. Hopefully this sorry state can be sorted but they won't be in SL next year.
Ceiling dwellers: Hull KR (stadium capacity) and Leigh (population size) have plateaued. I wonder what it would do for KR's average if there was more capacity. I'm thinking the stadium is OK for most games, with more popular opponents the only times when more seats would be useful. Leigh has a 12,000 stadium so they could technically increase their 8,800 average but that will be a big ask.
Newbies: Next year there will be between one to three new clubs in SL, depending on expansion going ahead. The Bradford Bulls used to exceed 10,000 in the Bullmania era but to do that now is unlikely. Other contenders such as Toulouse, York and London will definitiely not do that number so the 2025 average may be the best for some time to come.
