Interest growing rapidly
AAF attracting new fans, sponsors at a surprising pace
It’s too early to tell what impact the Alliance of American Football will have on the sport itself. After all, this is its fourth weekend of games.
Away from the field, with an infusion of backing to the tune of $250 million from Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, the AAF is finding its footing. It’s also finding what co-founder Charlie Ebersol calls “substantial interest” in the league in such areas as sponsorships and partnerships, with three new partners signing on since the season opener three weeks ago.
“It has been an interesting ride for us, and part of the challenge of launching is that we were focused on the product on the field,” Ebersol said. “We needed to make sure we got that right.
“Then the first weekend we had huge ratings. I got to meet Tom and he stepped in as chairman. It also brought a lot of sponsors to the table we had not had before.
“A lot of the traditional sponsors had come to sample us and would say, ‘I want to see what happens.’ We only began negotiating the bigger partnerships, and that story is only growing. We’re blessed that the growth of the league week after week allows us to engage with them.”
Indeed, Ebersol notes, the AAF’s increase in viewership on the night of the Academy Awards spurred more interest in his eightteam league.
“A lot of the agencies are coming to the table,” Ebersol said. “You are going to see the financial and automotive [industries] now integrating into our broadcasts over the next few weeks.”
For now, there are six official partners, including three newcomers since Feb. 9: Navy Federal Credit Union (banking), Wheels Up (aviation) and At Home (home decor). Others are MGM Resorts (gambling), the league’s first partner, New Era (head wear) and STARTER (uniform).
Why would a company get involved with a start-up sports venture, particularly in pro football, where the NFL, even with its warts, is so dominant? MGM, for example, is an investor in the league, whose season will end April 28 with a title game.
The CEO of At Home, Lee Bird, attended the Alliance opener Feb. 9 in San Antonio with his son. He not only signed up as a partner, he began calling other potential partners, encouraging them to get involved.
“When the Alliance debuted with this unique platform allowing us to continue to reach customers through high-quality spring football, we leaped at the opportunity to become a partner,” Bird said.
The company even has branding on the jerseys of the Salt Lake Stallions and San Antonio Commanders this season.
Dundon, whose Hurricanes have become among the most creative marketers in hockey, is looking for more such integration in the Alliance.
“Because the broadcast looks good and there have been good ratings, what we need to think through is how do we give our partners or sponsors more than buying a traditional ad?” he said of the games televised by CBS, CBSSN, Turner and NFL Network. “Redesigning the football perhaps? How we do replay? Multiple broadcasts that are streamed if the viewer is not a person who wants to watch the regular traditional broadcast? These are some of the things we think are pretty exciting, so how do we get the real benefits for us and (league sponsors)?
“We want to keep this league very intriguing with the things we have in mind, innovation with sponsors and technology.”
Ebersol points to strong merchandise sales, noting that some DICK’S Sporting Goods outlets have sold out of AAF paraphernalia in league cities.
“We do special displays in the eight markets, and they have needed restocking in multiple markets,” he said. “Someone had to go to three stores to get the product they wanted.”
What Ebersol, Dundon and Pro Football Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, the Alliance’s other founder, believe America wants is what the AAF says it can provide: quality spring football as something of a developmental league for the NFL, with which it has no affiliation.
And fans want quick games — they all come in at 2 1⁄2 hours or less — with fewer stoppages and shorter commercials, often using split screens so there’s always a camera showing what’s occurring in the stadium.
While offensive play has been spotty at best with inaccurate quarterbacking, porous lines and enough dropped passes to turn any coach’s stomach, defenses have looked strong thus far. But no one expected in the first month of play to be watching Tom Brady or Russell Wilson, although they do turn up in a Wheels Up game commercial that has drawn much attention.
AAF executives and fans need to be patient as they watch for the on-field product to improve as players get more acclimated with each other and coaches learn the strengths and weaknesses of their squads. The push off the field for the AAF to become a player in the pro sports market is immediate and ratcheting up daily.
“One of our messages is we are in the entertainment business,” Dundon said. “Let’s make sure to give back to the fans. But the other side is it helps the players too, whether it’s their fans watching them or an NFL team watching or sponsor watching. You never know where the next opportunity will come.”
GOLF: Wyndham Clark shot his second straight 3-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Clark reached 7-under 203. Hall of Famer Vijay Singh, 56, shot a 65 and was tied for second with Keith Mitchell (70) and Kyeong-Hoon Lee (68). ... World No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore. Jutanugarn reached 11-under 205. No. 3 Minjee Lee of Australia shot a 67 and was second . ... Maximilian Kieffer of Germany held a one-stroke lead early in his third round at the European Tour’s Oman Open in Muscat before play was suspended due to darkness. ... Hall of Famer Mark O’Meara held a onestroke lead over three players after the second round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Cologuard Classic in Tuscon, Ariz.
NFL: The Chiefs will place their franchise tag on Pro Bowl LB Dee Ford, but the team also will listen to trade offers for him, according to reports. Ford, 27, would earn approximately $15.8 million next season under the tag. He started all 16 games last season, finishing with 13 sacks, seven forced fumbles and 13 tackles for loss.
SKIING: Mikaela Shiffrin clinched the women’s World Cup overall title for the third straight year after a super-G race in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia was canceled because of heavy snowfall. Shiffrin, 23, who has a 719-point lead over second-place Petra Vlhova of Slovakia with a maximum of 700 points left this season, has a career-high 14 victories in 29 races . ... Dominik Paris of Italy won the penultimate men’s World Cup downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway.
SOCCER: Substitute Riyad Mahrez scored in the 55th minute to lift defending English Premier League champ Manchester City to a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth. Kevin De Bruyne left the win with an injury. Manager Pep Guardiola said after the match that he expects De Bruyne to “be out for a while.” Manchester City moved into first place and holds a twopoint lead over Liverpool, which faces Everton on Sunday . ... Romelu Lukaku scored in the 88th minute to give Manchester United a 3-2 victory over Southampton. United moved into fourth place in the EPL standings, but lost Alexis Sanchez to what appeared to be a significant right knee injury . ... Ivan Rakitic scored in the 26th minute to lift defending La Liga champ and current leader Barcelona to a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid. Barca holds a 10-point lead over second-place Atletico Madrid, which faces Real Sociedad on Sunday . ... The U.S. women’s team played to a 2-2 draw with England in the SheBelieves Cup in Nashville, Tenn.