More eyes focused on new netball comp

Super Netball is drawing significantly bigger live and television numbers than its predecessor and going gangbusters in the increasingly influential digital area.

The fledgling all-Australian eight-team competition is having a week off after eight of the 14 regular season rounds were completed.

Following the demise of the trans-Tasman competition, more matches each week in Australia and access to potentially larger free-to-air audiences have helped swell live and television figures.

Growth has also been evident in the newer technology areas.

Subscribers to the Netball Live Pass have increased by 600 per cent compared to the same time last year and customers spend longer in the Netball App than any other sports apps on Telstra TV.

"When we look at cumulative audiences attending games from a ticket perspective, or cumulative audiences on eyeballs in comparison to this time last year, we' are significantly ahead," new Netball Australia chief executive officer Marne Fechner told AAP.

"In terms of the whole proposition of why we would launch a new league and why we would break away from the ANZ Championship, from an overall perspective, we're seeing some great results at the halfway point.

"But we recognise there will be nuances with each of the clubs.

"Overall we're really comfortable with where we're at, in terms of the growth."

The three new franchises aligned to AFL and NRL clubs are all placed in the top four.

Of the five established clubs, only Melbourne Vixens are in the top half of the ladder.

"A competitive balance across professional codes is a critical issue," Fechner said.

"It's on the agenda in terms of what we need to look at from a club and a league perspective, the health of all our clubs.

"Because we can't have seven healthy clubs and one unhealthy club, we need eight vibrant healthy clubs that are doing well both on and off court.

"Overarchingly across sport, we're seeing a focus on the eastern seaboards.

"How that impacts on the (Adelaide) Thunderbirds and (Perth-based West Coast) Fever and what do we do as the league owner to ensure their viability and ability to compete for athletes on the court, and from a commercial perspective off the court, is really important."