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FOR THE SAKE OF MANKIND AND OTHERS, NBC LINKS WITH XFL

          NBC and the WWF announced a strategic partnership
     yesterday to jointly own and run the XFL, the new spring pro
     football league that will begin play on February 3, 2001. 
     The agreement calls for each party to own 50% of the league
     and its eight teams.  NBC will broadcast regional and
     national XFL games on Saturday nights in primetime from
     February through April.  NBC will also carry the XFL
     Championship game, the first of which will be played on
     April 21, 2001 (NBC).  The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Joe Flint
     writes that the deal calls for NBC to buy a $30M stake in
     WWF's parent company, WWF Entertainment (WWFE).  NBC will
     buy 2.3 million shares of newly issued Class A WWFE common
     stock at $13 a share, representing about 3% of the total
     number of WWFE shares outstanding (WALL STREET JOURNAL,
     3/30).  Both the N.Y. DAILY NEWS' Richard Huff and the N.Y.
     POST's Richard Wilner estimate NBC's total investment at
     $80M (3/30). CNBC's Jim Paymar reported that shares of WWFE
     were up 1/16 to close at 17 1/2 yesterday, while GE shares
     were up 7 1/2 to close at 163 1/2 ("MarketWrap," 3/29).
          EMPHASIZING TEAMWORK: NBC Sports Chair Dick Ebersol
     called the XFL deal "incredibly important" to NBC because
     "we're a partner, not a rights-holder."  Ebersol: "This is
     not a standoffish investment.  We're partners -- heart and
     soul -- in editorial input and production" (DAILY VARIETY,
     3/30).  In N.Y., Richard Wilner writes that in announcing
     the deal yesterday, Ebersol was "nearly giddy with joy"
     (N.Y. POST, 3/30).  Ebersol: "A network becoming involved in
     one of the mainstream American sports as a partner, and not
     as a rights holder.  This is incredibly important to us." 
     WWF Chair Vince McMahon, on joining with NBC: "On the one
     hand, you have the brand building technique of the [WWF] and
     all of its marketing power, and on the other hand, you've
     got the pre-eminent leader and the integrity of the network
     of the Olympics and all those individuals behind that, in
     terms of NBC Sports, as well as entertainment.  You've got a
     real juggernaut" ("MarketWrap," CNBC, 3/29).  
          CONSULTING THE PLAYBOOKS: Ebersol said network execs
     "fully expect" to be in the black by the "beginning" of the
     league's third season.  Ebersol: "It is an economic model
     that works fantastic for both parties."  Ebersol: "In a
     head-to-head comparison in young males 12-24, against
     'Monday Night Football' over the entirety of the 17 weeks of
     the 1999 regular season, the WWF had a 47% advantage in
     young males from 9-11 (p.m.), the two hours that they are in
     direct live competition.  That is extraordinary" (NBC). 
     Ebersol, on criticism that WWF programming is at times
     excessive and violent: "I have not seen anything I would
     classify as vulgar" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/30).  Ebersol:
     "We can't be out there doing traditional comedies and
     dramas.  We have to do other things to stay in the public
     awareness.  This is not your mother's football league"
     (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/30).  Ebersol said NBC "brings a
     modicum of a firewall" to the XFL: "If you're in the
     business of attracting a young male audience ... with that
     edge being located on NBC, it's not quite as far out as it
     would be on cablecasts. ... The WWF is at least 60-40 soap
     opera to sports.  Here, you've got to feel that in a three-
     hour time period, we're 85-percent playing football and 15-
     percent having a good time around the edges."  Ebersol added
     that NBC has "no plans to carry WWF events" (NEWSDAY, 3/30). 
     Ebersol said Saturday night "is a night that's ripe for
     taking. ... The most elusive audience in television today
     ... are young males.  And we believe strongly, and I believe
     even more strongly than anybody else, that in ... Vince
     McMahon, we're getting the best marketer and promoter to
     that audience" ("MarketWrap," CNNfn, 3/29).  
          RATINGS GAME: Both NBC execs and McMahon say that the
     ratings for XFL games "won't have to be huge for NBC to do
     better than it now fares" on Saturday nights.  The WALL
     STREET JOURNAL's Flint notes that NBC currently airs three
     dramas on Saturday, which average "only" 8.5 million
     viewers.  Flint: "Since the typical drama can cost more than
     $1 million an episode and a season consists of 22 episodes,
     the investment in the XFL is actually cheaper for the
     network" (WALL ST JOURNAL, 3/30).  Ebersol said a 4.5 rating
     for games is a "conservative" projection (NEWSDAY, 3/30).
          THE PLAY: In Chicago, Ed Sherman writes that McMahon
     and Ebersol "promised a product with a high entertainment
     element: hype, glitz and fireworks.  But unlike McMahon's
     other enterprise, the competition will be 100 percent real." 
     Ebersol: "There will be a large dollop of entertainment.  It
     should leave room for some interesting sideline reporters"
     (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/30).  Ebersol told CNBC that the XFL
     "will be real football, though many rules will be changed to
     speed up the game and make it more exciting" (CNBC, 3/29). 
     In K.C., Randy Covitz writes officials "did not discuss
     player salaries, other than to say the league will offer
     better pay than the [AFL] and NFL Europe."  Ebersol said
     players on the four teams that win each week will receive
     bonuses in addition to their salaries (K.C. STAR, 3/30). 
          INFRASTRUCTURE: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Michele Greppi
     cites WWF President Basil DeVito as saying that "during the
     next couple of months, stadium deals in the eight XFL
     cities, which include New York and Los Angeles, are expected
     to be announced as are deals with what DeVito describes as
     'additional TV partners' who will carry other weekend games"
     (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/30).  In Orlando, Jim Abbott writes
     that the XFL "is expected to sign an agreement" to use the
     Florida Citrus Bowl for a team in Orlando.  Orlando
     Centroplex Dir Bill Becker, on the XFL/NBC deal: "They're
     for real.  It's good news for us.  We're definitely going
     ahead with this.  We have a contract with them" (ORLANDO
     SENTINEL, 3/30).  In Chicago, Ed Sherman notes that Chicago
     gaining an XFL franchise "could be a possibility, although
     it seems unlikely Soldier Field will be playing host to
     frigid XFL games in February" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/30). 
          SHOTS AT NFL: In DC, Leonard Shapiro writes that both
     Ebersol and McMahon "took swipes" at the NFL yesterday.
     McMahon: "Players will not be felons.  No one with a record
     will be in this league."  Ebersol: "Nobody will ever say a
     bunch of guys can't celebrate or have a good time. ... It
     will stress individuality.  There will be no meetings of a
     competition committee to remove celebrations of more than
     one player."  NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, when asked
     about the XFL/NBC deal at yesterday's NFL owners meetings
     said, "I've been so busy on our agenda, I haven't had a
     chance to think about it.  Like everything else, the
     marketplace will decide whether it can succeed" (WASHINGTON
     POST, 3/30).  More Tagliabue: "Does that give them legs? 
     Who knows? ... It depends a lot on the quality of the
     product. ... If it doesn't get a good rating, it doesn't
     survive on network television" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/30). 
     But CNN/SI's Peter King reported from FL that the deal
     "stunned NFL owners."  King: "As one owner told me, 'I'm
     shocked.  I didn't think that league would have any legs. 
     But now, who knows?'" ("Sports Tonight," CNN/SI, 3/29).

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