While many are expecting NFL-like television ratings for the College Football Playoff, those on the licensing side are a bit more cautious.
“We’re certainly anticipating higher [total] sales than last year’s BCS championship game, but because this is a blank sheet, it’s difficult to make a more specific projection,’’ said Cory Moss, senior vice president and managing director at IMG’s Collegiate Licensing Co., which is handling licensing for the inaugural CFP.
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The CFP’s short window for school-related products has made sales “March Madness-esque.”
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The final four teams — Florida State, Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon — were announced Dec. 7, which has influenced the sales effort.
“The window for [school-specific] product was not long and we’ve got the championship game 11 days later, so it’s kind of March Madness-esque,” Moss added.
How much hype will drive sales between the semifinals and the championship game is another unknown.
FMI has merchandising rights at AT&T Stadium, site of the championship game, as well as area hotels. The company is running a 5,000-square-foot store at the four-day Playoff Fan Central fan fest in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas.
“Any combination looks good,” said Milt Arenson, FMI president and CEO. “All four teams have huge fan bases that buy a lot of merchandise. … We’re looking at this as a much bigger opportunity than the BCS national championship has been over the past 10 years.”
CLC has 42 licensees on board for the CFP, while last year’s BCS championship had more than 100. Leading CFP licensees include Nike, with championship T-shirt and headwear rights, and Wilson for game and commemorative footballs. Along with the standard T-shirts, fleece, hoodies and caps, there are licensed commemorative coins, replica stadiums, soccer-style team scarves and Russian-made nesting dolls from ChampStacks.
Moss said licensees cover distribution channels from big box to sports specialty, department stores and college bookstores.
Since the four CFP semifinal teams were announced a month ago, the top-selling college items on Fanatics.com have been an Ohio State Buckeyes 2014 Big Ten champions locker-room T-shirt, two different Alabama T-shirts, and an Alabama-Ohio State Sugar Bowl T-shirt.
CFP licensing revenue is helping support the “Extra Yard for Teachers” educational initiative, which is promoted on product hang tags.
