The AAF is charging rates in the five-digits for 30-second spots in games that air on CBSAAF
The Alliance of American Football plays its first games on CBS this Saturday, and advertisers are mixed on "whether the country needs more football, or how many viewers will follow the league once its games shift to cable TV and streaming services until CBS broadcasts the championship in April," according to Alexandra Bruell of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Some advertisers are "willing to bet the league’s new model, including a gaming component, will keep at least a small number of fans engaged." They are "intrigued by the souped-up fantasy and betting potential, which could hook a core audience on live viewing." The AAF plans to "track players’ positions and formations through wearable devices, and to stream that data to fans for use in play-by-play gaming." Sources said that given marketers’ "inability to judge the quality of the football product, the league has appealed to buyers with reasonable ad prices and flexibility in negotiations." Sources said that the league is selling "exclusive sponsorship packages in the mid-six-to-seven figures, depending on the category and level of sponsorship and activation." It is "charging rates in the five-digits for 30-second spots in games that air on CBS." Starter and New Era Cap are among the brands that "bought ad packages." MGM Resorts Int'l is "expected to offer wagering where legal through its app" (WSJ.com, 2/7).
THE GOOD STUFF: North Carolina-based Bitty & Beau's is now the "official coffee" of the AAF, which will promote the coffee chain on its Shop AAF website, though fans "can't buy any of its coffee and other products just yet." Bitty & Beau's co-Owner Amy Wright "founded the shop with the goal of providing meaningful jobs to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities." Bitty & Beau’s opened a branch in Charleston, S.C., in '17, and "another branch in Savannah late last year" (STARNEWSONLINE.com, 2/8).
