The positive effects of the Rabbitohs’ hugely successful 2013 season are still filtering through, with newly released statistics showing the Rabbitohs topping the NRL in a number of key areas, including television viewership in 2013, making the Club the most watched football team in the NRL. A cumulative audience of 21.2 million viewers watched the Rabbitohs’ force their way into the Preliminary Final across the two television rights holders in Channel 9 and Fox Sports – an increase of 6% compared to the 2012 season where the Rabbitohs played one more game. The result confirms South Sydney as being the most watched NRL club on television in 2013, second only to the Hawthorn Hawks (AFL Grand Finalists) nationwide. Remarkably, the Rabbitohs also finished first in the country in free-to-air (Channel 9) ratings, on the back of posting nine matches with an audience in excess of one million viewers compared to five in 2012. The Club holds the rare distinction of holding the highest viewership for a regular season match in 2013, with the round 26 Minor Premiership tussle with the Sydney Roosters clocking in with 1.42 million viewers, while the Preliminary Final against the Manly Sea Eagles was the Club’s highest rating match overall, attracting 1.96 million viewers. Despite the significant television figures however, the Rabbitohs backed up the result with increases in Membership and at the gate. With the highest Membership base in the NRL (27,392), a total of 333,285 Members and supporters attended home matches at ANZ Stadium, Barlow Park in Cairns, NIB Stadium in Perth, and Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford. With a combined home and away attendance of 539,733, the Rabbitohs ranked first in the NRL on the back of another consistent year on the field. The rise was also felt in the digital space, with the Club taking first position in a number of key areas, while experiencing exponential growth in Social Media.