'Making us famous': Hull KR chief hails Craven Park atmosphere as he discusses ticket strategy

Hull Kingston Rovers chief operating officer Craig Franklin believes Craven Park is now hosting an increasingly famous gameday atmosphere.

Visitors to the ground, including Sky Sports broadcasters, have described Hull KR's atmosphere as outstanding - and Franklin acknowledged it in an interview about the club's ticketing approach. And he also commented on how quickly the club sold tickets for the Grand Final at Old Trafford this year compared to the 2015 Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

Speaking to TheTicketingBusiness website, he was asked how important ticketing is to Hull KR's overall business model. The Rovers executive replied: "It’s fundamental. Season memberships and match tickets are the bedrock of the club’s income and the fans who buy them provide our unique and compelling atmosphere on gameday, which is making us famous right around the world."

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Asked about partnering with Ticketmaster and digital ticketing, he said: "It’s been a core part of our strategy and a significant part of how we’ve been able to achieve growth. Not only does it make it quicker, easier and more convenient for supporters, but it allows us to capture better data so we can further grow our match attendances.

“If you look at the day we put the 2024 Super League Grand Final tickets on sale for example, we sold our initial allocation of 10,000 in hours. For the Wembley 2015 Challenge Cup Final it took a full week to sell the equivalent number of tickets, and that included a permanent three-hour queue outside the box office. The switch and focus on digital allows us to run much more efficiently and grow the club in other areas."

In the interview, he also discussed how they are now able to identify trends in supporter behaviour and ease congestion around the stadium.

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