Joker wrote: ↑Sun Sep 20, 2020 8:58 am
Not sure if meeting number 42 was a joke or a real stat, but this post by Danny shows the desire to get this thing going again. I am impressed by the new owners for their motivation. I wish they told us more.
I can’t help but think they are talking about the numbers and the realization that if they don’t have a paid network deal, empty stands won’t pay the bills and they will lose a lot of money. The XFL can make some side money on product sales and subscriptions to next years season tickets, but they will still lose a lot of money. Unless they can come up with a big fat network deal that can pay them, plus sponsors.
What they'll need to do:
—Bring back as many players as they can from last year, and possibly a few vets with NFL name recognition (no, I'm not talking Kaepernick, but Manziel might be worth considering). No need to go WFL/USFL and target marquee stars; that'd do more harm than good and I don't think they have the budget, but something comparable to the UFL (and to an extent the AAF) where seasoned vets near the end of their career supplemented the in-house talent. You're trying to make the TV package as attractive as possible.
—Avoid controversy. Sports is escapism. The major leagues are getting crushed right now because they've gone down a social justice rabbit hole. This past year, the XFL put its foot down on it, and it worked: no kneeling, no controversy.
—Take the ratings they had last year, and note how they compare to MLS and the NHL, which have worse ratings and more TV money. That's your negotiation tactic. You have a proven product. If they're still skeptical, have them look at the AAF's ratings on lesser channels.
