Perfect Storm: Tampa Bay AFL Team Launches New Marketing Plan

AFL Tampa Bay Storm Owner Robert Nucci's recent purchase of the team included a revised four-year marketing agreement with Palace Sports & Entertainment (PS&E), which operates St. Pete Times Forum, that gives Nucci revenues above specific benchmarks, according to Larry Halstead of the TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL. For the past eight seasons, PS&E has controlled "all the marketing for the ... Storm, paying the club a flat annual fee of [$2-3M] and keeping all gate receipts and sponsorship revenue," offering "no incentive for the Storm to increase sales." Either side can opt-out after the first year, as it gives "both parties a one-year trial to see if they can work together." Nucci plans to "parlay his local contacts into a beefed-up marketing effort to increase revenue for the team." While previous plans included "plenty of discounted or free tickets with the hope that they would later turn into season tickets," Nucci's emphasis this year is on "building the gate." New marketing efforts include 30 billboards "advertising when the Storm play." Meanwhile, the team recently hired Jim Borghesi as President & COO (TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/11 issue).