AFL/ESPN Partnership

[roxfan00]

ESPN acquires minority stake, TV rights in AFL

ESPN.com

ESPN buffeted its year-round football programming lineup and Monday night presence, acquiring minority ownership in the Arena Football League as part of a five-year agreement announced Tuesday.

The deal includes extensive multimedia rights and a minimum of 26 televised games per season beginning in 2007.

"We are committed to the Arena Football League and its exciting brand of football," John Skipper, executive vice president for content at ESPN, said in a statement. "We will help grow the league across all of our multimedia platforms. As the league grows, so will our business, and we see a bright future for us both."

Similar to recent major ESPN content acquisitions, the agreement entails a broad range of rights among the network's 15 platforms, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN on ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPN.com, Spanish-language ESPN Deportes and ESPN360. ESPN also gains the right to both air and syndicate AFL games through ESPN International.

ESPN will televise a minimum of 17 regular-season games and nine playoff games -- including a minimum three wild-card games, three divisional playoff games, both conference championships and the Arena Bowl -- on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.

ESPN will also have an exclusive window for weekly Monday night primetime games on ESPN2 -- continuing to establish Monday night as a "football night" for fans.

"This is the longest and most comprehensive media partnership in AFL history," AFL commissioner David Baker said. "ESPN's brand is ingrained in sports fans, who watch, read and listen to its multiple media properties. Through its equity purchase, ESPN now owns a piece of the AFL and has the ability to provide exciting football content on Monday nights for fans on a year-round basis.

"There is no better partner to help grow the AFL into a leading global, multimedia property."

The network's 2007 coverage will kick off on ABC with a pair of regional games -- Chicago Rush at Kansas City Brigade and Dallas Desperados at New York Dragons -- on March 4. ABC will broadcast ArenaBowl XXI on July 29 from the New Orleans Arena; it will be the city of New Orleans' first host team championship event since Hurricane Katrina.

The 2007 AFL television schedule on ESPN (all times Eastern):

? March 4: Chicago at Kansas City; Dallas at New York, ESPN on ABC (regional), 12:30 p.m.

? March 12: Los Angeles at Orlando, ESPN2, 7 p.m.

? March 22: Colorado at Philadelphia ESPN2, 7 p.m.

? March 26: Dallas at Orlando, ESPN2, 7 p.m.

? April 1: Los Angeles at Chicago, ESPN2, 1:30 p.m.

? April 9: Georgia at Philadelphia, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

? April 16: Philadelphia at Dallas, ESPN2, 8 p.m.

? April 23: Philadelphia at Columbus, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

? April 30: Philadelphia at Chicago, ESPN2, 8 p.m.

? May 7: Colorado at Chicago, ESPN2, 8 p.m.

? May 14: New York at Philadelphia, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

? May 21: New Orleans at Philadelphia, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

? May 28: New York at New Orleans, ESPN2, 8 p.m.

? June 4: Colorado at Utah, ESPN2, 10:30 p.m.

? June 11: Los Angeles at Arizona, ESPN2, 10 p.m.

? June 18: Chicago at Colorado, ESPN2, 10 p.m.

? June 25: Dallas at Colorado, ESPN2, 10 p.m.

Postseason television schedule

? June 29: Wild card, ESPN, 7 p.m.

? June 30: Wild card, ESPN, noon

? June 30: Wild card, ESPN, 3 p.m.

? July 2: Wild card, ESPN2, 10 p.m.

? July 7: Divisional playoff, ESPN, 3 p.m.

? July 7: Divisional playoff, ESPN, 8 p.m.

? July 8: Divisional playoff, ESPN2, 9 p.m.

? July 9: Divisional playoff, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

? July 14: Conference championship, ESPN, 3 p.m.

? July 15: Conference championship, ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.

? July 29: ArenaBowl XXI, at New Orleans, ESPN on ABC, 3 p.m.

Note: ESPN will carry a minimum of three wild-card games and three divisional playoff games

[BJ Sands]

Now we can all call the AFL on NBC a failure. Which it was.

I like the idea of Monday Night Arena Football, but I don't like having no regular season games (except week 1) on ABC.

[Eye]

Awesome. I love AFL and I'm glad that the league will continue to get significant exposure. While I hate ESPN, it's a trade off I'll have to deal with. I wish they had a team in NJ though, because then I'd be even more of a fan, but still, a great deal for the AFL and the fans.

-E.A.R.

[logodawg]

Seems to be a hell a lot of Philadelphia. Does this mean there won't be anymore AFL on NBC?

[Bucks6thMan]

Seems to be a hell a lot of Philadelphia.

Now, now, I'm sure that has NOTHING to do with the fact that Ron Jaworski owns half the team

[PeytonManningRocks]

Let me get this straight....so ESPN thinks Arena Football will garner good enough ratings for them, but will do anything to shun the NHL? Hmmmm....

[jkrdevil]

Seems to be a hell a lot of Philadelphia. Does this mean there won't be anymore AFL on NBC?

No NBC didn't renew there rights with the AFL after last season. As is last season NBC replaced a lot of late season AFL dates with the Stanley Cup Playoffs. NBC decided to add more hockey games this year and to shift the NHL games to Sunday after football so that basically meant the AFL was done on NBC.

[whitedawg22]

I could be wrong, but I think I remember reading that AFL games actually drew slightly higher ratings than regular-season NHL games.

[Sodboy13]

Some of the more vocal longtime Arena fans are viewing the partial acquisition by ESPN as a precursor to the death of the independent AFL, and a morphing into "NFL Indoor." Between the recent rule change allowing unlimited substitution, and John Elway's comments that the Arena game needs to become more like the NFL so it can be "more watchable," I can't say I blame them for raising a fuss.

Listen, if I wanted to see NFL football year-round, I would. And with the league having its own network and the Europe league in the spring, Lord knows I could. But I don't watch the AFL to see NFL games on a half-size field. I watch the AFL for its unique brand of football, a wide open game bordering on human pinball. The NFL and ESPN would be wise not to mess with that.

And 7 weeks of Philly? Holy Jaworski! And Tampa Bay, the last remaining original team, with some of the league's most rabid fans, doesn't get a single flippin' game. That makes sense. And in Week 3, brace yourself for network-induced Elway v. Bon Jovi overkill... again.

[EatSleepJeep]

The other night while there was one NHL game on Versus, ESPN had Classic Boxing and ESPN2 had Women's Volleyball. I'm sure the ratings were far higher than the two NHL games would have been in those slots.

Couple this AFL with their recent commitment to air every (former)BUSCH Series race and what do you have? Saturday afternoons showing minor league NASCAR and NFL dropouts playing football in hockey rinks. Solid moves for the Worldwide Follower in Sports

[goalieboy82]

i might have to watch it.

[Sodboy13]

The other night while there was one NHL game on Versus, ESPN had Classic Boxing and ESPN2 had Women's Volleyball. I'm sure the ratings were far higher than the two NHL games would have been in those slots.

I know you were being sarcastic there, but the sad thing is, they probably did pull better numbers with boxing and v-ball than they would have with the NHL. Crappy numbers, to be sure, but not as crappy as hockey numbers.

I think part of me just died typing that.

[scoobytim]

Seems to be a hell a lot of Philadelphia. Does this mean there won't be anymore AFL on NBC?

Yes it is a lot of Philly and yes Jaws does own part of the team, but the Soul ( worst team name ever) are locked into Monday and Thursday night games due to the situation with the arena they use. The Wachovia Center is shared four or five ways that time of year( Sixers, Flyers, Wings, Soul, Phantoms).

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Yeah, Georgia says you too, ESPN.

[Herk]

Some of the more vocal longtime Arena fans are viewing the partial acquisition by ESPN as a precursor to the death of the independent AFL, and a morphing into "NFL Indoor." Between the recent rule change allowing unlimited substitution, and John Elway's comments that the Arena game needs to become more like the NFL so it can be "more watchable," I can't say I blame them for raising a fuss.

Listen, if I wanted to see NFL football year-round, I would. And with the league having its own network and the Europe league in the spring, Lord knows I could. But I don't watch the AFL to see NFL games on a half-size field. I watch the AFL for its unique brand of football, a wide open game bordering on human pinball. The NFL and ESPN would be wise not to mess with that.

And 7 weeks of Philly? Holy Jaworski! And Tampa Bay, the last remaining original team, with some of the league's most rabid fans, doesn't get a single flippin' game. That makes sense. And in Week 3, brace yourself for network-induced Elway v. Bon Jovi overkill... again.

What is the new subsitution rule? does that mean the AFL no longer has players play both ways? If that is true that is a shame, it was one of the cool and unique things the AFL has. I agree that becoming indoor NFL would be horrible for this league and to its longtime fans.

[ninersdd]

The season seems to start later then usual

[BaltimoreFan]

So now there aren't going to be any games on tv on Sunday? I like the idea of monday night AFL, but not if it means no games on sundays (although I do have DirecTV so I can probably watch the games on the FSN channels if they play on there and don't make an AFL package to buy).

On a side note, I've never really understood why Baltimore never had a team. Especially before the Ravens came to town, because it seems like they sometimes put teams in cities that didn't have teams. I mean Baltimore has always been a football town, I'm sure we could support a team. My dad said it may have been because we wanted an NFL team so bad, we might have thought an AFL team would prevent that from happening. That's the only reason I can think of. The AFL is fun to watch, but it'd definitely be easier and more fun if I had a local team. (I'd say the same thing for the NHL since it was brought up in earlier in this thread. I never watch it now but I definitely would follow a team in Baltimore. I know Washington has a team, but they've always seemed like a completely different city to me. I've never really gotten into there teams and I've tried alot to like the Wizards).

[Bucks6thMan]

So now there aren't going to be any games on tv on Sunday? I like the idea of monday night AFL, but not if it means no games on sundays (although I do have DirecTV so I can probably watch the games on the FSN channels if they play on there and don't make an AFL package to buy).

On a side note, I've never really understood why Baltimore never had a team. Especially before the Ravens came to town, because it seems like they sometimes put teams in cities that didn't have teams. I mean Baltimore has always been a football town, I'm sure we could support a team. My dad said it may have been because we wanted an NFL team so bad, we might have thought an AFL team would prevent that from happening. That's the only reason I can think of. The AFL is fun to watch, but it'd definitely be easier and more fun if I had a local team. (I'd say the same thing for the NHL since it was brought up in earlier in this thread. I never watch it now but I definitely would follow a team in Baltimore. I know Washington has a team, but they've always seemed like a completely different city to me. I've never really gotten into there teams and I've tried alot to like the Wizards).

You mean someone actually speculated that the NFL would be scared off by an AFL team? It didn't stop the CFL from going there.

The only thing I can think of is that 1st Mariner isn't the most up-to-date facility. Not that I think the AFL is in any position to choose shiny, new facilities over a built-in fan base that would come with a city like Baltimore... but this is the same league that folded one of it's most popular teams in history (Milwaukee) rather than let them play at an older arena for a couple of seasons.

[BaltimoreFan]

You mean someone actually speculated that the NFL would be scared off by an AFL team? It didn't stop the CFL from going there.

The only thing I can think of is that 1st Mariner isn't the most up-to-date facility. Not that I think the AFL is in any position to choose shiny, new facilities over a built-in fan base that would come with a city like Baltimore... but this is the same league that folded one of it's most popular teams in history (Milwaukee) rather than let them play at an older arena for a couple of seasons.

Well that was just my dad's opinion and he's not the biggest sports fan. He thought the NFL would say something like "well you don't really need a team because the you have an arena team". I know we apparently got screwed in '93 over an expansion team (or at least that what I've heard, I was young at the time, but I did see a shirt at a local sports store that said "screwed again, Taglibue hates Baltimore" or something like that). But now that I think about it we had a CFL team so that couldn't have been the concern.

EDIT: If anyone cares, I just did some research and Baltimore does have an Arean team in the AIFA. They will be playing at the First Mariner Arena too. So maybe this could help in getting an AFL expansion team.

[pcgd]

Dangit...I thought this was Aussie Rules AFL....