(02-02-2019 02:43 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  An interesting set of TV deals. I think it says much about the AAF and backhandedly about the XFL.

CBS/CBSSN and Turner/Bleacher Reports is half the deal here. CBS is looking for content for it's CBSSN channel, and it is using Turner Sports to test launch live sports online via Bleacher Report (B/R Live). This is seed money for Eye network of companies. The first two games being on CBS is to try and introduce the league to potential fans and try to help drive them onto CBSSN.

NFL Network is even more intriguing. But it does make a lot of sense. After the Super Bowl the NFL Network turns into a 24/7 rerun station for the better part of half a year -- it does crank up again with the draft combines and draft in April. But it's really dead from February 4th until late April. The AAF deal puts live content on the network February 9th to April 14th. It's still off season (think ski towns in July and August), so any football content is helpful. It gives the full time employees (I am aware it's a lot of FOX overlap here) at the network something to do, even if it loses money.

But what is interesting about the NFL Network is who is not, namely the XFL. The AAF is made up of people with NFL connections. The XFL is McMahon, and seems to be more of a marketing approach. There is no love loss between the NFL and McMahon. Helping the AAF launch a year earlier than the XFL and providing a reasonable TV package, the effort here is to take oxygen out of the room when the XFL launches. The AAF will have the NFL promoting it.

Only one of these two will survive, and my bet is Ebersol's league, nor McMahon's.

April 7, 2018 was the morning which the AAF announced their partnership on CBS/CBSSN with Spurrier as their first coach. They have had issues selling advertising since then. Those guys with the AAF are likely marks trying to invest and will lost $$$ in spring football.

These TV deals are not cutting checks to the AAF, it is more likely the AAF is writing checks to the networks since Spring Football has yet to establish a TV or digital demand in 20 years.

Both leagues will have an issue with retention season ticket sales from year one to year two. Ticket sales are the lifeblood of minor league sports, especially minor league football. AAF is paying for players salary, housing, and scholarships, or so they say. That's LOTS of overhead before we get to talk about insurance.

Plus, AAF is producing all of the games themselves. They are partnering with not CBS, but with Scottsdale, Arizona based Sneaky Big Studios to broadcast video content, like the pre/halftime/post-game shows. Half the game calls will be there too and they want to use Marvin Lewis, who lives in Scottsdale.

AAF VP of Prodiction, Mark Teitelman, described