Ravens’ President says NFL should embrace liquor ads, lottery logos 15/04/2009 |
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Baltimore Ravens President Dick Cass said the National Football League should allow teams to sell more liquor advertising and put their logos on state lottery tickets.
The NFL only allows teams to sell ad space to distillers in the upper level of stadiums and in publications such as game programs. It doesn’t allow teams to sell liquor sponsorships involving a team logo, in-stadium video displays or television advertisements. It forbids teams from selling the right to use their logo on lottery tickets.
Even though the NFL has been buffeted by the worst recession in a generation -- the league cut staff and executives had their salaries frozen -- Cass said the major reason the ads should be allowed is because the public has grown more tolerant.
“It’s more acceptable now,” Cass said in an in interview from his office in Baltimore. “It’s not a desperate need for money, that’s not what is driving it.”
He said it would be difficult to estimate how much more revenue liquor and lottery advertising would bring to the Ravens.
Money from the Maryland state lottery helps fund public schools and pay down the bonds issued to build the team’s stadium, Cass said. Teams already sell spirits at stadium bars during games, he said.
“We would be pleased to have our marks and logos associated with the Maryland state lottery,” Cass said. “We serve liquor at the stadium, so I don’t know why we can’t advertise that. I think it makes sense to permit some sort of advertising arrangement with liquor.”
Owners Meeting
NFL owners will likely discuss the issue at their spring meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 18-20, league spokesman Brian McCarthy said. Any change in league policy requires approval from 24 of the 32 owners.
The NFL hasn’t avoided the recession that started at the end of 2007. It trimmed its staff by 15 percent, or about 170 jobs. League executives have had their salaries frozen for the remainder of 2009. Commissioner Roger Goodell cut his $11 million salary by about 25 percent, the league said.
Fans also are feeling the pinch: Personal seat license resale prices have fallen about 20 percent on world’s biggest online marketplace for seat rights. The average price for the licenses, which give the holder the right to buy season tickets, have fallen to $2,000 from $2,500 last year, according to Seasonticketrights.com founder Kyle Burks.
Cancellations
Cass said the Ravens have had few season ticket cancellations and that he expects the team will sell out again this year.
He said 80 percent of the club’s sponsorships are long-term agreements that extend at least another year. The team is focusing on renewing the remaining 20 percent and increasing the size and offerings to existing sponsors.
“It is so difficult to go out and find a new sponsor, rather than to renew existing sponsorships and holding on to what you have,” Cass said. “I’m hoping we’re going to get sponsorship revenue equal to what we had last year. If we did that, it would be a strong performance given the economy.”
The Ravens have no plans for firing employees this year, Cass said. That would hurt customer service, which would hurt the club’s efforts to retain ticket holders and sponsors, he said.
(Source: Bloomberg)
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