COLUMNS ON THE BALL SEPTEMBER 2005

WORDS BY KEVIN SNOW

THE SEASON BEGINS

Randy Moss hadn’t even played a game for his new team, and he was already the most popular player.

Shortly after being dealt from the Minnesota Vikings to the Oakland Raiders in the off-season, Randy Moss, the explosive wide receiver with the bad boy image, overtook Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger as the best-selling individual jersey in the NFL. This is not unusual, as sales of NFL jerseys often increase when a high-profile player switches teams or when a team changes the style of its uniform. Adding to the Moss jersey appeal is that he switched his number from 84 to 18, and the Raiders’ silver and black goods have ranked among the top six in team merchandise sales since 2000.

Such is life in the National Football League, which generated $3.4 billion in licensing retail sales in 2004, making it the seventh biggest brand in the world and the leader in sports. It’s no wonder the NFL is considered the most popular sports league in the world, with a tremendously successful business model that is the envy of other leagues.

Much of the league’s success is based on its television presence, as NFL broadcasts have become some of the most watched in the world. Last season, NFL games accounted for four of the top 11 network programs and eight of the top 10 on basic cable. In fact, the top 10 most-watched shows in TV history are all Super Bowls.

And as the NHL and NBA spent the summer working on collective bargaining agreements, the NFL signed off on a pair of television contracts that should keep it on top of the ratings for years to come. Monday Night Football moves from ABC to ESPN next season at a cost of $8.8 billion over six years, while NBC won the rights to Sunday night games beginning in 2006 for $3.6 billion over six years.

Even the fans are getting involved in the business side of the game. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, more than 15 million adults took part in fantasy leagues last season. The average player participated in two leagues, spending an average of $154 on everything from entry fees, commissioner services, fantasy news sites and draft publications. Studies have also shown that the average participant has been playing for six years and spends almost three hours each week managing his or her team.

Contrary to popular belief, men aren’t the only ones buying, watching and playing. A recent Harris Poll listed the NFL as the most popular sport among women, ahead of major league baseball, college football and auto racing. And women accounted for almost 25% of fantasy football players last season.

Yet it’s not the amount of money trading hands that makes the game so exhilarating. And as Moss goes long for that last minute touchdown, it will be the beauty of the game, not the business, that keeps us glued to the tube.

MERCHANDISE SALES

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