Sports stats



AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Champs Sports Partners with AFL as First Ever Official Athletic Retailer

January 8, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - The Arena Football League today announced a three-year national partnership renewal with Champs Sports (a division of Foot Locker, Inc.) designating the organization as the official athletic retailer of the AFL through 2006. The partnership will introduce the first-ever national retail program for the AFL.

Champs Sports, an AFL partner for ArenaBowl XVII in June, will provide AFL in-store support in all AFL markets, with a designated AFL merchandising area featuring Drew Pearson AFL caps, Majestic replica jerseys and team-specific Team Edition T-shirts. All Champs Sports stores will carry the new Spalding football. Champs Sports TV network will air AFL highlights and promotional spots.

Champs Sports will also provide promotional exposure in its Times Square store for two weeks prior to start of each season as well as the week prior to and including the ArenaBowl.

"In building a strong and significant fan base, we must have retail presence. Champs Sports will, for the first time ever, present an AFL outlet outside of the arena for AFL fans to show their team affinity," said GLENN HORINE, AFL Properties Executive Vice President. "We are thrilled that Champs Sports believes in the AFL story and that we can cross-promote with them on our common young, male audience."

Champs Sports' enhanced renewal with the AFL includes logo identification on all player helmets and towels used in the player-bench area. Champs Sports will receive various additional in-arena promotions, including public address and video jumbotron announcements and premium give-away opportunities in each of the AFL's 19 team markets. Champs Sports will also receive supplemental playoff inventory, including dasherboards, at each postseason AFL game, including ArenaBowl XVIII.

"The partnership with the AFL is a perfect fit for both brands to reach our target audience," said ROB BRODERSEN, Vice President of Marketing for Champs Sports. "We are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to continuing to grow our relationship."

Fan loyalty is the hallmark of AFL partnerships. An ESPN Sports Poll released in July, 2003 revealed for the second consecutive year that AFL fans are more likely to try, switch, and remain loyal to a sponsor's product due to a sponsorship of an event/sport they follow than fans of NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and NASCAR.

• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 8, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central