Newcastle Falcons vs Northampton Programme

BY MARK SMITH - NEWCASTLE FALCONS MEDIA MANAGER
It might not have produced the result that most of us wanted, but the
viewing figures were really encouraging from last Saturday’s Rugby
World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa.
The Springboks’ dramatic late victory saw 8.7 million people tuning
in for the gripping climax on ITV, making it the most-watched
programme of 2023.
More people tuned into the rugby than King Charles’ coronation,
the Britain’s Got Talent final and my own personal favourite – the
Challenge TV late-night repeat of Bullseye!
We had 41% of the total television viewership fixated on events at
Stade de France, which can only be good for the sport.
Closer to home, we welcome the TNT Sport cameras to Kingston Park
today for the first time this season.
I got myself in trouble over the summer when I tweeted from my
personal account that the Falcons were only being shown live on TV
three times during the opening 11 rounds of the Gallagher Premiership,
with every single other club being shown at least double that.
We only lost once live on TV during last season’s Premiership season
(ironically against today’s visitors) and produced many moments of
high drama during our televised victories over Leicester Tigers, Bristol
and Gloucester.
I’ve had my say and copped the resulting telling-off from the league,
but hopefully the next wave of TV picks, whenever it gets decided, can
see a more equitable distribution of games.
For the Premiership and the clubs within it to grow everybody needs
their fair share of exposure, and a big home performance today would
go some way towards that.
We welcomed commentator Ali Eykyn and a TNT Sport camera crew
here earlier in the week to gather their preview interviews and info,
and we’re delighted to have them on site again today for what should
be a cracking game.
The return of the weekly ITV highlights show once again ensures freeto-air
exposure for the league, and contrary to what many supporters
think we also enjoy great support from our local TV news.
ITV Tyne Tees and BBC Look North are regulars at our weekly press
conferences, and I know many of my oppos at other Premiership
clubs do not always enjoy the same level of exposure on their own
respective patches.
I did have to feel for the photographers at our most recent home
game, however. Their usual perch at either end of the field looked
more akin to a swimming pool rather than a sports venue as Storm
Babet took Tyneside in its grip, and there was zero chance of them
being able to open their laptops to wire over any live images.
Even my comfortable spot in the very back row of the West Stand got
a thorough drenching, and in 21 years covering the Falcons I can barely
remember worse conditions.
FROM THE PRESS BOX - WITH MARK SMITH
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