Mogie Adamchik Incoming Intern at Wasserman Summer 2020 • The XFL stands to change the norms of football to connect with a next-generation audience. It gives guys who weren’t quite big, fast, or strong enough for the NFL a chance to keep doing what they live for • The league also fills a void and creates more entertainment for hungry football fans who are sad after the super bowl ends • The XFL needs sponsors who share the same values and desire to connect with untapped demographics • Football as a business has three large traits: food, finances, and fun! • The XFL is an opportunity for a savvy marketer to connect with increasingly important and valuable demographics. These targets are based on the rise of young fans, the rise of women, and a way to overcome the demise of broadcast tv XFL Media and Marketing • The XFL targets large media markets: 7 of the top 10 in the country (from Nielsen DMA rankings) • They chose strategic locations and stadiums where they can host not only large crowds, but also a huge audience through media channels • The TV companies they work with include ESPN, ABC, and FS1 • The first week of the season saw an average of 3.1 million viewers per game across those 3 channels, but that number decreased drastically as the second weekend had roughly 2 million • The cost to rent these stadiums isn’t cheap. Houston is on the lower end of expenses: the league pays $30-40,000 a game, in addition to game operation costs and parking fees. The league is paying $150,000 for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, in addition to food, beverage, parking and ticket fees. It’s critical for the league to gain sponsors who are dedicated to building the brand • The NFL is losing a younger audience. In order for the XFL to capitalize on all audiences, there has to be a push to gain attention across other media platforms, especially on social media • The teams are getting a lot of interaction on Instagram and Twitter, but Facebook has yet to see greater success • The LA Rams started a YouTube channel in July of 2019. In its 7 months of existence it has gained 17,400 subscribers o It includes different videos that introduce players and tell their unique stories, as well as more lighthearted videos like Mic’d Up on the field • The XFL could benefit from creating YouTube channels for their teams and providing entertainment and insight on a different platform • In comparison, the NBA’s YouTube channel has 13.3 million subscribers, which shows there is an audience for people who want to follow their favorite sports leagues on YouTube Wingstop The first sponsor I proposed was Wingstop • Football is Food! Football fans eat about 1.33 Billion chicken wings every Superbowl (according to the National Chicken Council) • They are not WINGING IT as a struggling start up - they are a real brand that values quality customer service, and they’re looking to deliver a great product. • Partnering with the XFL would put them on a national stage o They now have over 1200 locations in 10 countries • Delivery! o Own delivery service, OWN drivers, not just GrubHub o Wingstop can deliver wings to your tailgate, or house party • Promotion #1 o All stadiums have a Wingstop within 7 miles. The closest Wingstop to a stadium is in Houston, where it's a quarter mile away - essentially across the street o Metlife Stadium is home to the XFL’s New York Guardians and seats 82,500 o Last season, the NFL’s Jets avg attendance was 78,523 (2nd most in league) . The Giants avg was 74,664 (5th highest) (from ESPN) o The nearest Wingstop to Metlife is 6.5 miles away and is a 14 minute drive o (This idea could be done at all locations but I’m going with NY based on the stadium’s maximum capacity) o Guardians fans can scan a QR code when they enter the stadium for a game. Digital ticket holders would be automatically entered when they scan and walk into the stadium o 2 minutes before half, 200 fans will be randomly selected via a text to come to the Wingstop blind taste test at halftime. They'll be able to sample Wingstop’s flavors for free and give opinions for their favorites on the spot. In addition to receiving a free halftime snack, 5 of these fans will win free wings for a year! . This is also chosen by random selection Promotion #2 o Wingstop Wednesday at selected Wingstop locations in each of the 8 cities. Fans can take 10% off their order if they walk in repping their team’s gear, and 15% off if the team won the weekend before o During the off-season, players could make appearances at Wingstops to have MEET AND EATS with fans, which would support the XFL’s first value of connecting with fans and giving them amazing experiences Navy Federal Credit Union The second sponsor I proposed was Navy Federal • Football is food and FINANCES • The XFL has an opportunity to support the rise of women and create a military connection • 45% of NFL’s fans are women, but they aren’t a focus of marketing. The XFL can capitalize on this opportunity • Navy federal’s current CEO is Mary McDuffie o She describes herself as an open, collaborative leader, therefore I believe she would be excited about an opportunity to empower women and military members • The buying power of women is huge. 96% are involved in financial decisions for their families • Navy Federal has physical locations in all 8 XFL markets, and also offers online banking • The NFL connects with the military through USAA and Salute to Service o A way to honor, empower, and support veterans and their families year-round o They do this on the field during the coin toss o They host veterans during games and show appreciation o Off the field- Players connect with vets and hear their stories. • Promotion #1 o A military appreciation game for women veterans o This will also acknowledge their female audience . Sunday March 8th 2020 International Women’s Day . Two games, hosted in DC and LA . All-women color guard . Invite women service members to the coin toss and acknowledge them . Have a special lounge designated for women service members and their families during the game . During commercial breaks, show videos of players thanking the influential women in their lives . Flyover with female pilots . This would inspire little girls watching the game and connect with the untapped patriotic female audience NFL V.S. XFL: FAN AGE DEMOGRAPHICS • The NFL is facing an age problem where the next generation isn’t watching TV as much as the older audience does • The XFL desires to target ages 12-24 (ESPN) • Cord-cutting is becoming more common: younger fans don’t care to sit on a couch for 3 hours watching a game. They’re looking to take it “to-go” with mobile streaming, live updates, and any other on the go viewing • The XFL shortening game time is already a step towards quicker games, and satisfying a younger crowd who has this attitude toward all major sports. Golf is another example: there’s a constant push for faster pace of play and getting through a round much quicker PLAYSTATION The final sponsor I proposed was PlayStation They are a great sponsor for two main reasons: • PlayStation's audience is the XFL's target audience o 40% of people who play video games are between ages 18-35. This covers 7 years of the XFL’s 12-24 year old range o One of the top ranked video games for this age group was Madden NFL which suggests another football video game could be successful o PlayStation has recently released a 2MD virtual reality game . It's an arcade-style football game. You’re in first person, playing as the eyes of the quarterback, and actually drawing out routes for receivers to run • Vince McMahon o CEO and Chairman of WWE Wrestling o Owner of Alpha Entertainment which owns XFL o WWE also has a series of PlayStation games o WWE has about 11 million fans in the US PLAYSTATION PRESENTS THE ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE Main idea for experiential marketing: • WWE's Wrestle Mania is April 5th @ Raymond James Stadium (home of the XFL's Vipers) • Vipers back at home following Sunday against NY Guardians • Keep some of the wrestlers in town for a meet-and-greet during the game, and set up PlayStation controllers where fans can play and purchase the latest 2020 wrestling game. • A great opportunity to connect two markets! • Any stadium could host this experience, and perhaps take it a step further by holding a wrestling match on the middle of the field; it would be a first for many to see! XFL CORE VALUES • Three core principles • Fans First o Be affordable: tickets start at $20, so a family of four can attend a game together for less than $100 o XFL is committed to community engagement to grow the sport’s popularity . Players do meet and greets, coaches answer q&a’s, the leagues also wants to connect with student athletes o F.A.N. (Football Advisory Network) . Fans have an opportunity to share feedback about the league which helps to design the XFL fan experience and grow the league together • Ultra Accessible o XFL wants fans to get close to the game . Fans get front row seats to XFL draft .