NBC might not renew its deal, which has expired, and the league says it's interested in exploring its options, too.
LAS VEGAS -- After the confetti stopped flying and Third Eye Blind finished a loud afternoon with a booming 45-minute postgame set to commemorate ArenaBowl XX, AFL Commissioner David Baker shifted his vision to a third decade of fast-forward frantic football.
The new era could include moves to find a major-network television partner for a league that soon might be homeless. There is strong speculation that NBC won't renew its contract with the Arena Football League that expired this weekend, fueled by business dynamics.
Ratings have been poor all season, an average of 1.0 that dropped to 0.9 Sunday afternoon during the league's championship game between the Orlando Predators and Chicago Rush. It marked the worst rating of any sporting event in a weekend that included the inaugural games of the 2006 World Cup, the NBA Finals, the Belmont Stakes and the Stanley Cup Finals. The ArenaBowl was mired in the cellar, along with the Laureus Sports Awards and the British Grand Prix, a Formula One race.
Equally significant is the Sunday squeeze of the NFL, which will return to NBC starting in the 2006-07 season. NBC's contract with the AFL calls for Sunday afternoon games, and it is likely to invest most of its efforts on those games.
"Frankly, I think we're pretty well-positioned no matter where we want to go," Baker said. "They're going to look at us, but we're also looking at them. They've been great partners, but other groups have expressed a lot of interest. OLN, Fox Sports Net, Comcast and a couple of other guys. We're going to take a look at it over the next 30 to 60 days to see what best serves our needs and our fans over the next four years."
A call to an NBC spokesperson seeking comment was not returned.
The league also has a regional-cable deal with FSN, letting affiliates in AFL markets carry local team games. The OLN deal signed in February lets the cable network broadcast 11 regular-season games and one wild-card playoff this season. But only 40 percent of the country has access to OLN as part of its cable package. OLN is available to Bright House customers in Central Florida.
As the AFL continues to expand and broaden its identity beyond a fringe sport, the lack of a major network broadcaster wouldn't help the marketing push.
"I think it probably is important, but is it important enough to give up a lot of money at your gate?" said Mike McBath, a founding partner of the Predators.
McBath said that showing games on Sunday afternoons cuts into the live gate revenue (three Orlando games were telecast on Sundays during the regular season).
The numbers support McBath's contention. Attendance for the Los Angeles Avengers game was 12,839 and for the Dallas Desperados matchup was 12,630. Of the three broadcast on TV, the Chicago Rush game drew more than 13,000 fans. Average attendance for all home games was 13,828.
"It's a Catch-22," McBath said. "Is it important for the Predators be on NBC when there is no money to it? It's crazy to give up Sunday afternoon gates. NBC may be gone, but I'm not going to go home tonight and worry about it."
Baker is banking that the league's stability and product will allow for continued growth, no matter which entity becomes the AFL's primary television partner.
"It's incredible to see," Baker said. "Twenty years is three times as long as any other professional football league in the United States other than the NFL. And it's just the tip of the iceberg. It's a sport that's growing dramatically both at the AFL level and AF2 level.
"It's a great time to reminisce and we enjoy our weekend here [Las Vegas], but I only allow myself one weekend to reminisce. I prefer to think about the future."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/football/orl-preds1306jun13,0,4823372.story?track=rss
LAS VEGAS -- After the confetti stopped flying and Third Eye Blind finished a loud afternoon with a booming 45-minute postgame set to commemorate ArenaBowl XX, AFL Commissioner David Baker shifted his vision to a third decade of fast-forward frantic football.
The new era could include moves to find a major-network television partner for a league that soon might be homeless. There is strong speculation that NBC won't renew its contract with the Arena Football League that expired this weekend, fueled by business dynamics.
Ratings have been poor all season, an average of 1.0 that dropped to 0.9 Sunday afternoon during the league's championship game between the Orlando Predators and Chicago Rush. It marked the worst rating of any sporting event in a weekend that included the inaugural games of the 2006 World Cup, the NBA Finals, the Belmont Stakes and the Stanley Cup Finals. The ArenaBowl was mired in the cellar, along with the Laureus Sports Awards and the British Grand Prix, a Formula One race.
Equally significant is the Sunday squeeze of the NFL, which will return to NBC starting in the 2006-07 season. NBC's contract with the AFL calls for Sunday afternoon games, and it is likely to invest most of its efforts on those games.
"Frankly, I think we're pretty well-positioned no matter where we want to go," Baker said. "They're going to look at us, but we're also looking at them. They've been great partners, but other groups have expressed a lot of interest. OLN, Fox Sports Net, Comcast and a couple of other guys. We're going to take a look at it over the next 30 to 60 days to see what best serves our needs and our fans over the next four years."
A call to an NBC spokesperson seeking comment was not returned.
The league also has a regional-cable deal with FSN, letting affiliates in AFL markets carry local team games. The OLN deal signed in February lets the cable network broadcast 11 regular-season games and one wild-card playoff this season. But only 40 percent of the country has access to OLN as part of its cable package. OLN is available to Bright House customers in Central Florida.
As the AFL continues to expand and broaden its identity beyond a fringe sport, the lack of a major network broadcaster wouldn't help the marketing push.
"I think it probably is important, but is it important enough to give up a lot of money at your gate?" said Mike McBath, a founding partner of the Predators.
McBath said that showing games on Sunday afternoons cuts into the live gate revenue (three Orlando games were telecast on Sundays during the regular season).
The numbers support McBath's contention. Attendance for the Los Angeles Avengers game was 12,839 and for the Dallas Desperados matchup was 12,630. Of the three broadcast on TV, the Chicago Rush game drew more than 13,000 fans. Average attendance for all home games was 13,828.
"It's a Catch-22," McBath said. "Is it important for the Predators be on NBC when there is no money to it? It's crazy to give up Sunday afternoon gates. NBC may be gone, but I'm not going to go home tonight and worry about it."
Baker is banking that the league's stability and product will allow for continued growth, no matter which entity becomes the AFL's primary television partner.
"It's incredible to see," Baker said. "Twenty years is three times as long as any other professional football league in the United States other than the NFL. And it's just the tip of the iceberg. It's a sport that's growing dramatically both at the AFL level and AF2 level.
"It's a great time to reminisce and we enjoy our weekend here [Las Vegas], but I only allow myself one weekend to reminisce. I prefer to think about the future."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/football/orl-preds1306jun13,0,4823372.story?track=rss
