Sorry to break it to you but there’s already a “Super League”- it’s called the NFL
Juggernaut: “something (such as a force, campaign, or movement) that is extremely large and powerful and cannot be stopped.”
Another NFL season has come and gone with the final send-off being an epic Super-Bowl in Glendale, Arizona at the 57th edition of the big game. And once again the NFL has shown why they are truly a “Super League”. Maybe not in the same construct that those involved with the European form of “football” would define a super league, but make no mistake, the NFL has no peers at the present time.
No other sport league does it as well, and the real kicker is the NFL makes it look easy. They have shown the ability to consistently evolve and pivot when it’s needed. The financial windfall continues at a record pace when other leagues are scrambling to secure new funding and renew contracts just to keep the proverbial lights on.
Player contract values continue to increase along with the value of the media rights and TV ratings. Team valuations are at levels never seen before and there seems to be no end in sight. If this past NFL regular season felt more competitive than usual, that’s because it was. The average margin of victory was 9.7 points, the lowest since 1932 when the average was 9.13. Another first was the number of one-possession games, which was at 156.
The NFL completed its season with a game that was viewed by 113 million people, making it the third-most-watched television show of all time. The following week the XFL returned to the field to kick off their season with the backing of Hollywood legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. On April 15th, the USFL will start its own 10-week season. So, it’s not just the game of American football. If it was, the XFL and USFL would have similar numbers, and they don’t. That’s because they are NOT the NFL.
The consistent success of the league is not by accident, and those in charge have laid the groundwork so that music and the money is not stopping for the foreseeable future. Even after a near death episode during a game this season, when Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and needed CPR on the field of play, ratings continue to remain steady. The NFL put a record number of telecasts in the top 100 in 2022 in the US, with a staggering 82 games making the list. So how does the NFL do it year in and year out without breaking stride?
Take care of the stars of the game.
“The NFL embraces charismatic stars like Patrick Mahomes, (the NFL’s version of the NBA’s Steph Curry on the gridiron) the way he plays, and others like him open up the sport. Players like Mahomes, this year’s Most Valuable Player, have dramatically increased scoring and the pace of the game, while attracting young fans. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are synonymous with the position, but the eight NFL divisional playoff teams were all led by QBs under 30.” According to media analyst John Kosner. The NFL market these players, and the current rules protect them like a Lloyds of London insurance policy.
Grow the core content.
In the 1970s, when the teams played six preseason and 14 consecutive regular-season games, only eight teams made the playoffs. The Super Bowl was played on the second Sunday in January. The draft, which was not televised, was staged two weeks later in a hotel ballroom. Non-sellout games were blacked out in the home market, cold weather night games were minimized, and the schedule rarely changed. Baseball was the top U.S. sport. That was the sports landscape in the US 50 years ago.
Today, NFL teams play three preseason games, 17 regular-season games over 18 weeks, with staggered starts for the Sunday triple-headers at 1pm, 4:25pm and 8:30pm. In addition to this, there are four morning starts from Europe, prime-time games on Monday and Thursday, and a season that begins the first week of September. Now 14 teams make the playoffs, and the Super Bowl is on the second Sunday in February. The draft is a late April, three-day/night traveling spectacle, covered by three networks, and attended on average by 100,000 plus fans. The NFL has no peer on U.S. television, which is why there is talk of adding another regular season game and an additional bye week so that the Super Bowl could be played on the Sunday before the Presidents Day holiday. Thus, making the day after the big game a national holiday.
Moving to a year-round footprint
With the Super-Bowl now played in February, the league continues to forge a year-round content presence on the calendar. The Combine and free agency signings are in March, the draft in April, the NFL schedule release in May, training camps in July and the preseason in August. The only vacant month on the calendar at this point is June. However, over the past few years the league and or the players union have managed a few headline grabbing announcements in this otherwise vacant month, allowing the fans to catch their breath.
Content innovations
ESPN unveiled a ratings bonanza with the introduction of “Manning-Cast”. Sky Cam technology plus the NFL networks “RedZone” have enhanced the viewer’s experience, changing the way games are produced. This is coupled with NFL.com, premium NFL+ app, and shows like Inside the NFL and the league’s own daily show, entitled Good Morning Football. If your appetite is American Football, the NFL will gladly show you to the proverbial content buffet.
Maintaining and creating new revenue generating media outlets
In the 1970s, prior to cable and streaming, three broadcast networks held NFL rights: CBS, ABC and NBC. Today, the NFL has agreements with four broadcast networks with the addition of FOX. They also have deals with ESPN, the leading national cable sports network, as well as behemoth digital companies Amazon and Google/YouTube. Adding to their financial reload, Apple is the new sponsor of the Super Bowl half-time show.
CBS, ESPN/ABC, Fox, and NBC agreed to pay $89.5 billion over the next 11 years for the rights to air pro football games. The league negotiated a 108 percent increase compared with the $43.1 billion the networks will have spent when their current deal ends, according to figures released by the networks and the NFL.
The NFL games’ total package valuation will reach about $105 billion when Amazon’s streaming deal is included, as per the Wall Street Journal. The National Football League is by far the US’s most popular professional sport. The networks know this, so their negotiating tactics have limited bite. The leverage is clearly in the league’s favor.
If you’re new to the league or how the NFL operates and want some cinematic insight, might I recommend a few films that do it justice. “Draft Day”, “Any given Sunday” and for historic context you cannot go wrong with the original “Brian’s Song”.
So, the NFL has now gone into semi-hibernation with opening day less that 190 days out. But, before that first kick-off, the machine will continue its tour de force of prosperity and domination, because that’s just what “super” leagues do.
