Without NBC where will AFL go?

[patriot]

I'm just wondering where the AFL might start heading, intended or unintended, now that NBC has what they wanted all the time with a contract with the NFL. There are already a number of affiliates across the country dropping more and more broadcasts. Could the league be heading back to it's fun days before it was dictated to them to have teams in certain markets and not others in hopes of big tv audiences. Will the NFL keep the ties to the league just to be sure to have a minor league system for themselves or will they continue to pump more and more players into the CFL and NFLE? Without the money and exposure from NBC and without the attention of the NFL where does this league go? As the saying goes, you can't stear a train.

[cylon555]

To some backwater cable network were it belongs id rather watch my
local indoor team than the NewYork what the F***'s
play the LA who gives a S***.

[preeths]

You have to know that the AFL's exposure on NBC, no matter what you may think of their game, helps all of indoor football.

[ChampionOfSteel]

I hope another financially sound indoor league takes their place and uses the NIFL rulebook for their defensive alignment format. I can live with/without the nets although it would be intriguing to see fans in the stands scrambling to get the kicked ball. It would be good to have slack nets to trap good kicks, too without the rebound net. If the NIFL wants to improve something put a slack net on the goalpost.

The AFL's jack linebacker setup blows. That format sucks and it's a total bore seeing running plays get stuffed for a loss. If it takes the AFL going bankrupt then so be it. I'm fed up with a lack of commitment to get the best indoor game format on TV. All the AFL has to do is adopt the NIFL defensive rules/format. Since they won't do that, I hope they go bankrupt.

[ChampionOfSteel]

You have to know that the AFL's exposure on NBC, no matter what you may think of their game, helps all of indoor football.

Disagree.

The AFL on NBC hurts the rest of the indoor world. Fans assume all of the other leagues are as boring as the AFL and won't bother taking their chances by attending an UIF or NIFL game, etc.

[fan6]

IF NBC drops the AFL then look for it to head to either PAX-TV, or the new combined network of Warner Brothers and UPN.Fox may be a possibility but dont look for it to return to ABC or ESPN simply because the league wants exposure. The league might attempt to have a game of the week on internet as well but dont look for it to be off television simply because its a good product and a lot of people like it.

[preeths]

CoS, simply not true by any stretch of the imagination. You have no idea how many people in this country have no idea indoor football exists or have only heard about it in passing. The general perception of the AFL, which you can certainly disagree with personally, is that Arena football is an exciting game.

[nksports]

I wouldn't see NBC dropping the AFL right away. As I understand it, the AFL doesn't get money directly from their contract. It's almost a time buy arrangement where they split the advertising revenue.
Unless NBC gets something really big, they don't have anything in that time slot that is going to draw any bigger of an audience. They'd just turn it back over to affiliates, who would probably run old movies and infomercials.

[preeths]

Good point and you are right, NBC does not pay rights fees.

[Minor League Man]

I do want to see some sports on the CW.

[Jamie]

CoS, simply not true by any stretch of the imagination. You have no idea how many people in this country have no idea indoor football exists or have only heard about it in passing. The general perception of the AFL, which you can certainly disagree with personally, is that Arena football is an exciting game.

CoS knows.... he's got a friend in Canada.

[Jamie]

I'm just wondering where the AFL might start heading, intended or unintended, now that NBC has what they wanted all the time with a contract with the NFL.

Just a clarification please, on the original premise:

Has there been an announcement that NBC is dropping AFL?

There is no reason to assume that NBC would drop AFL, just because they have NFL Sunday Night next season. The seasons do not overlap, and NBC still needs something to put on Sunday afternoons before the golf match...

[rams80]

I know what NBC would replace the AFL with-poker. Guaranteed to get better ratings than the AFL sadly.

[cylon555]

Id watch poker over the AFL any day

[patriot]

Just for the record; no, there has not been any formal announcement as to changes with NBC and the AFL. In the same way that there were no formal announcements that affiliates were going to be allowed to now put any old thing on rather than the games.

I just seems to be a logical next step. NBC has been trying to find sports to fill in the void after the NFL left. Hence all the "sports" that we saw one time and never again, as well as the XFL, the AFL, and now the NHL. The AFL is just an evil stepchild of what it once was ever since the NFL put it's mits on it. Just ask Albany and Des Moines how much fun they had being bent over by the league. Then when the the league was so generous to provide the AF2 to those cities everyone used the poor attendence to justify having taken the original teams away. Gee? Those fans didn't want to have to pay to be bent over a second time?

This whole thread is just my hypothesis that NBC is going to pull the plug on the tv deal, the NFL will start bailing as soon as they see that, and then maybe we'll have the great league back that we had during the 1990s rather than this cropped little side show that they have packaged so nicely for us. We will finally be able to start watching games again and not have to watch a middle aged rocker or a horse mouthed owner all game long.

As a side note: why when the XFL was using that overhead cable shot did everyone complain about it and now everyone just loves it? It sucked then and still does no matter what you put under it.

[afdave]

To Patriot and others....

Why does the "sport" of Arena football (I'm not talking any specific league, just the sport in general) only belong to "small" markets and people who have to watch it in person with only late night tape delay TV?

That's the thing I see people complaining about, that the "big market" thing "ruined" the league, as if people in large cities don't deserve to see the sport. Chicago certainly does well, LA & NY, while they have a lot of competing entertainment options, draw decently. Dallas and Philly are doing great. But, if you listen to some, thats the problem.

The af2 *IS* what the AFL was in the early-mid 90s, and the AFL has migrated to be a "Major Market" TV version of the sport. Why can't there be both?

[Steven MacTowelie]

Why not the AFL can make a TV deal with either ESPN or ABC? If NBC no longer wants to broadcast AFL games, screw them!:mad: other outlets would be able to put the AFL on TV again!

[nksports]

I do want to see some sports on the CW.
You may not see sports on the CW, but "Sports Entertainment" will still be there. They are expecting to keep Smackdown from UPN (at least until the WWE-Viacom contract expires in a year or two).

[Pounder]

Why not the AFL can make a TV deal with either ESPN or ABC? If NBC no longer wants to broadcast AFL games, screw them!:mad: other outlets would be able to put the AFL on TV again!

With 1.0s, will ABC or CBS take them?

I doubt it.

[Stingray11214]

The reality is this:As long as the AFL is laying out the money for the airtime, NBC would be fools to let it go. Under the same arrangment, ABC/CBS/CW/XYZ would be crazy not to grab easy money from the AFL.

Peace,
Ray C.

[1st & Goal]

A good possibility that regional sports networks (i.e.- Fox Sports South) could do it. OLN does hockey, why not arena football?

[nksports]

OLN, soon to be called Versus, has shown AFL.

[MarshalsFAN80]

A good possibility that regional sports networks (i.e.- Fox Sports South) could do it. OLN does hockey, why not arena football?


Because very few people are watching HOCKEY! Why would the AFL want to screw themselves by going on OLN. They want something that is NON CABLE I bet. (network TV)

[tony-o]

Because very few people are watching HOCKEY! Why would the AFL want to screw themselves by going on OLN. They want something that is NON CABLE I bet. (network TV)
Um...they already are on OLN.

[Pounder]

Because very few people are watching HOCKEY! Why would the AFL want to screw themselves by going on OLN. They want something that is NON CABLE I bet. (network TV)

Of course AFL wants network coverage.

The networks don't want AFL. Put it this way... no other network offered a better deal than NBC's "no rights fee, only shards after ad revenue covers expenses." NBC's first year of coverage barely did anything to increase viewership, though it might have helped at the gate (this year, the gate is down for the first time in a while).

You're going to see some AFL retrenchment.

[preeths]

If the AFL doesn't lose sponsors, they may actually come out of this stronger. They'll also have more incentive to expand now that they don't have to split the expansion fee.

[MarshalsFAN80]

If the AFL doesn't lose sponsors, they may actually come out of this stronger. They'll also have more incentive to expand now that they don't have to split the expansion fee.

I think that the only reason that NBC took the AFL on was because they didn't have any football at all. There was a market for that. Now that they have the NFL, they aren't really interested in the AFL.

I wouldn't be surprised to see another network pick them up. I would expect to see ABC try and get them for the summer months. Along with the X GAMES, ABC could have a GREAT "extreme" lineup.

Fox won't pick them up because of the MLB.

I would expect to see them on ESPN and ABC. ESPN 2 would be a great place to show the AFL. That way, I don't have to watch the 1989 World's Strongest Man Competition again:)

[boing]

On the LA Avengers website, on Casey Wasserman's blog, he asked the fans if they would prefer the NFL Network or Versus as the network next season. He also asked if they wanted the season pushed back six weeks. Makes sense, since the season was pushed ahead to accomodate NBC.

[DestroyersFan]

If they move the season back six weeks then the league will return to the days when players would leave their AFL teams in the middle of the playoffs to go attend NFL training camps.

[TNA-Sucks]

For those who wishing for the AFL to broadcast on ESPN, your wish is now a reality. on 3-4-07, ESPN on ABC(formerly ABC Sports) will air 2 AFL games, one of them will be the Chicago Rush, AFL World Champions, going up against the Kansas City Brigade. After that, all ESPN networks(except ESPN on ABC) will air the entire AFL season, leading up to the 2007 ArenaBowl, that will be broadcast on ESPN on ABC.

[preeths]

Rumor is that an NFL Network deal may be announced soon as well.

[Malepig]

A very strong rumor with the NFL network. NBC did not do good with the AFL and I personally am glad they are through with them.

[nksports]

Problem with NFL Network is nobody can watch it. There are some large markets on the east coast that don't get it at all. Those cable systems that do carry it, generally keep it on their highest tiers. It is on a basic tier on one of the satellite system.
U.S. Senators from Kansas and N.J. both went after them when nobody could watch the Texas Bowl.

[mvhcpa]

Well, with the new AFL deal now ESPN has another outlet to which they can play ultimate suck-ups.

I remember when ESPN was daring and edgy--now it SEEMS (personal impression only) that they kiss up to whatever entity they have a deal with. ESPN actually did a SportsCenter segment about the "LeBrons" shoe commercial, with LeBron James himself, which pretended as if the Four LeBrons were real people--how cloying is that? ESPN's coverage of MNF SEEMS (there's that word again) so bland and rah-rah for the league that I miss Howard and Don with tears and longing (and for many it would be a stretch to say they miss Howard Cosell!).

I'm sure now that the AFL (as portrayed on ESPN) will be the MOST IMPORTANT (AND UNDERAPPRECIATED) THING IN FOOTBALL now that ESPN has a share in it. I wonder if the Empire March needs to be played at this announcement.

I'm just sad ESPN is showing it's middle age (kinda like me, I guess). And, like I said, this is all my opinion based on personal impressions of stuff I have seen recently on ESPN (and the bad mood I am in today)--any agreement or disagreement out there? I'd love to hear back!

Michael Val
(who REALLY shouldn't write for the boards when in a bad mood!)

[Thuderbolt]

the only difference between this year and last year is ESPN instead of NBC, all the regional companies will still show the games. Like here in Fla. Tampa Bay is on SunSports OLN and another network whos name I cant remember. so its the same

[ChampionOfSteel]

I don't want to sound like a broken record for those of you that have heard my rants on the AFL board, but the AFL game system is boring.

What happens on downs 1 thru 3 cost you your NBC contract.

Change to the NIFL format and you'll get it back.

[Geoff]

OLN/Versus: They will not be carrying any game this season as they only had a limited contract for last season.

NFL Network: I hope they land a deal. It's seems selfish for me to say that as I am probalby in the minority of people on OSC who actually get it (Granted it's channel 331). I'd like to see it get done because other than the play offs, the only time ESPN will air more than one game a week will be weeks 1 (Both on March 4) and 3 (Thu. COL @ PHI; Sun. DAL @ ORL). Every time NBC showed more than one game, I typically got both as I get two NBC's.

I will be able to watch games on FSN Florida and Sun Sports if there are any.

[Sykotyk]

Only thing I don't like about the ESPN deal is that the first week and ArenaBowl can be on either ABC or ESPN, it's up to ESPN to decide. Also, ESPN is only required to air up to three of the first and second round playoff games. If things go badly, they can always show the bare minimum and keep everything off ABC if they want.

Although if the AFL does get NFL Network, at least we can be guaranteed the 4th game in the first and second rounds will be televised no matter what.

Sykotyk

[mtedora]

this 5 year deal could be the best thing that ever happened to the AFL, signifying that ESPN is at long last going to take the League seriously. or it could be the omen of it being run completely into the ground.

[patriot]

When I started this a year ago I didn't think it would get this much use. The sad truth that has not changed is that it is no longer the fans league. The cities don't matter for the league to survive and the fans don't matter to the tv networks. It's what tv makes the sport do. ESPN/ABC/Disney (you pick the name you like for the poison) has taken away Monday night football from the masses, it force feeds us the Lakers and the Heat, and it skews all of sports to the East bias.

I predicted that the AFL would be off general tv and it is. Now I say that the evil empire is going to morph our sport into something that will all but kill it. Owners from the NFL run this thing now. The monster will kiss up to these folks every way possable to be sure and keep the sugar deal with the NFL. You are going to see rule changes that will make it fit tv and make it fit the premise of being a summer long training camp for the NFL. Why do you think the season was moved? So that bad teams (non-playoff) are done in time to give thier players a full NFL training camp while the good teams have a continuous schedule to drop quality players into the heart of the NFL pre-season when the big boys are playing one or two series in games.

AFL=AAA
AF2=AA
All the other =A and R

ArenaEuropa anyone?

[indy legend]

[QUOTE=patriot;34566] The sad truth that has not changed is that it is no longer the fans league. The cities don't matter for the league to survive and the fans don't matter to the tv networks.

You are absolutly right Patriot. The AFL and the networks no longer give a damn about the cities or the fans anymore. Ask any Indiana Firebirds fan what they think about this league. We drew extremly well and supported our team only to have it completly dismantled the last season and then folded. When new local owners came forward to buy and save the team the AFL would not approve the deal and disbanded our team with no reguard for the support the city and the fans had given the team.
I had been an AFL from year one but this is no longer the fans league. It's now just annother corperation like the NFL,MLB,and the NBA that could care less about the fans. I love Indoor fotball and now follow the UIF and hope we can get a team in it or one of the other indoor leagues. I want nothing to do with the AFL or AF2. The only thing I want to hear about the AFL is that died a slow, painful, EXPENSIVE death.