RE: XFL didn't work so NBC tries another version

["Hakim Madjid" <HMadjid@mindspring.com>]

Sean Smyth writes:

>Why is this so bad? Personally, I'm surprised this is happening, since I
>believe the NFL now has some equity stake on the Arena League, and I didn't
>think they'd allow a network competing with their broadcast partners to get
>AFL rights. Seeing that TNN, ESPN, ABC, etc., have all dropped the ball on
>the Arena League, I doubt NBC will do much better.

In all probability, the NBC deal with the Arena Football League will not
adversely affect or compete with the NFL or the NFL's
broacasters/cablecasters. The Arena Football season runs from the end of
March (starting with two weeks of exhibition) and goes up until mid -
August, when the AFL stages the Arena Bowl, which is their version of the
Super Bowl. This does not overlap the NFL season at all save for maybe a
week or two of NFL exhibition games.

The NFL does have an equity stake in the Arena League and before this month
is out the NFL may well increase its stake in the AFL to 49%. In fact with
so much ownership, NFL probably sees the Arena TV deal as positive.

It might actually not be that bad a deal for NBC either. While we shouldn't
kid ourselves that this is as popular as the NFL,  the Arena Football is
very popular in the cities that have teams. The value of an Arena Football
franchise (team) has increased 30-fold in the past decade or so. Heck of a
lot better that all of the dot-bomb stocks.

Lets not forget that several NFL players came to the NFL from Arena
Football, most notably St Louis Rams Quarterback Kurt Warner. So who knows
the NFL might be looking at arena football as sort of a farm system.

Also according to the AFL, their fan demographic is in that 18-45 age group
that advertisers covet.

73, de Hakim (N1ZFF)