XFL President Basil DeVito said that the league's
season-ticket sales total is 25% of its total sales goal,
"and we're still 2 1/2 months away from the start of the
season," according to Richard Lee of the Stamford (CT)
ADVOCATE. N.Y./NJ Hitmen PR Dir Jon Schwartz estimated that
the team has been selling 150-200 season tickets per day.
Meanwhile, Lee reported that the XFL's association with the
WWF "has been a marketing boon for the league, as evidenced
by the popularity of the colorful" black and red football
being produced for the league by MA-based sponsor Spalding.
Spalding Marketing Communications Manager Jackie Beck said
the footballs are "going to retailers, WWF events and bars
in the evenings." Available in 30 cities until the end of
December, replica footballs sell for $9.99 and up, while the
regulation models sell for $80. At the WWF's N.Y.
Restaurant at Times Square, restaurant spokesperson Jennifer
Ridley said, "We've been selling an average of 500 a week"
(Stamford ADVOCATE, 11/26). In DC, Thomas Heath examined
the league and reported that as of last week, the XFL
reported that it had sold 39,000 season tickets league-wide,
led by S.F. and N.Y./NJ. DeVito said that the league's
business plan "calls for it to turn a profit by the third
year." Sports Business Group President David Carter, who is
an advisor to the league's L.A. franchise, said, "Very
seldom has there been a sports league with this much
momentum from the start gate." NBC Sports Chair Dick Ebersol
said the network wants to use its tie to the XFL to "become
relevant to that young [males aged 12-24] audience and speak
their language." But Heath added that a "key to success may
be managing expectations so viewers and in-stadium fans
aren't thinking of the NFL." Pilson Communications
President Neal Pilson: "After a full season, postseason and
the Super Bowl, personally I'm not ready for another 10
weeks of football. But I'm not their target audience."
NFLPA Assistant Exec Dir Doug Allen: "Fans are going to know
if it's not real football, and they will walk away if it
isn't." Also, Anheuser-Busch, which has bought commercial
time on NBC during XFL games, has "concern over how off-the-
wall the games may become." A-B VP/Corporate Media & Sports
Marketing Tony Ponturo: "The integrity and credibility of
the game has to be maintained. The minute that the
credibility of the game on the field was compromised or
inappropriate fan behavior was incited, we would have to
reassess the situation" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/24).
A JAB AT NBC SPORTS CHAIR: In Baltimore, Milton Kent
wondered how Ebersol could "so totally violate the spirit of
Gen. David Sarnoff, one of NBC's founders, by climbing into
partnership with someone as avaricious and amoral as [XFL
Chair Vince] McMahon. Good luck washing, Dick; the ooze
doesn't come off easily" (Baltimore SUN, 11/24).
