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Just anecdotally, tourist and commuter crowds seem to have really surged this week in Manhattan, which is especially notable juxtaposed with the ridiculous fear mongering about this city I see so often.

When I asked USFL Exec VP/Football Operations Daryl Johnston what constitutes success for the new league, he said: The rally cry here is getting to Year 2." That seemingly simple ambition has eluded just about every pro football league that has launched in recent memory.

If the USFL is to become the first 11-on-11 spring league to have a sophomore year in nearly four decades, it must do two things:

With spending in mind, consider a few points that really stand out compared to most startups:

Birmingham's Protective Stadium will house all USFL games in the league's debut season

In terms of the product, execs from the USFL, Fox and NBC will be thrilled if there are eight QBs who can remain vertical and consistently hit a receiver in stride, and four games each weekend that are still up for grabs in the fourth quarter.

But Johnston does hope for some innovation value-adds. The USFL will use sensors -- not chains -- to measure for first downs, and the games will have more production elements than any game Fox has ever broadcast, aside from Super Bowls, Johnston said. Theres going to be so many unique and good things to talk about when this thing is over, its really going to be something that grabs the viewers attention, grabs the football fans attention, he noted.

Also, Fox Entertainments Blockchain Creative Labs is launching an NFT marketplace, and players will be allowed to create and profit from their own NFTs. Players who wear helmet-cams will be able to use that video too. Empowering players to be entrepreneurial with their own brand and identity is key to the plan. I wouldnt be surprised if we have a couple guys who make more money in the marketplace than they do in salary, Johnston said.

The first game is Saturday at 7:30pm ET, on both Fox and NBC. Three more games are on Sunday (NBC, USA Network and FS1).

After this weekend, the USFL will be back in court with some officials of the original USFL, who claim the new league has no rights to the league and team IP. I dont predict the thinking of a judge Ive never met before, but industry sources dont consider this suit a serious threat.

If the USFL does make it to Year 2, it will have competition in the form of a new-look XFL. The USFL has its players under effective two-year contracts, hoping to block out its stars from considering the XFL.

Late last month, Chiefs CMO Lara Krug and VP/Corporate Partnerships Kim Hobbs joined a contingent of six other team employees and two retired players for an eight-day trip to Germany, where the team now has marking and media rights under the NFLs international program.

One day, they convened a focus group of about 25 local NFL fans over beer and Bavarian cuisine at Paulaner Nockherberg, a large beer hall in Munich. Krug passes on two key learnings:

Along with the focus group, the Chiefs met with potential sponsors and media partners, and also started generating Germany-specific content. Accompanying them on the trip was Bayern Munich VP/Marketing & Communications for the Americas Dee Kundra (the Bundesliga club has a partnership with Hunt Sports Group).

Former players Dante Hall and Tim Grunhard pose with Munich residents at an outdoor market

The platform, from 6Connex, allows Rams fans to gather together virtually in various rooms

Rams

Read more from the original source:
SBJ Football: The USFL steps up for its turn in the spring spotlight - Sports Business Journal