Positive influences of American culture #1 - NFL leads the way for AFL

North American culture impacts the rest of the world in many ways. That said, many of us born outside the US or Canada accept parts of the culture like Hollywood, music and TV with open arms, but we are quick to criticize negatives (drugs, violence on TV, gun debate) and gloss over the good. Therefore, each post in this series (this is #1) will introduce an aspect of North American culture and its subsequent positive influence(s) on another industry, cultural pursuit or country. Feel free to agree or disagree, or clarify any points I’ve made in your comments.

#1 - NFL leads the way for AFL (Australian Football League)

The level of professional in sport has skyrocketed in the past 20 or so years. Why? There is no one defining reason, but multiple sports have achieved sustained growth and stability after modeling their development strategies on the NFL, America’s most watched and profitable sport. For this we need a case study, and I’ve selected Australian Rules Football (AFL), which is close to my heart, having grown up in Melbourne. For my US readers, have you ever seen or heard of AFL? For those that haven’t, check out this link.

If you don't have 5 minutes to spare, basically it’s a kind of football played for 120 minutes on a huge oval-shaped field where fit, fast, strong, young men run all day, with the hope of kicking an oblong-shaped ball between two giant white posts as many times as possible while avoiding would be tacklers (kudos to anyone who can read that sentence without taking a breath and understand it.) All this done without protective padding or headgear. It’s quite a spectacle – check it out. Anyway, the AFL has grown at breakneck speeds and appears set for sustainable growth over the next decade. This is in no small part to the influence of the NFL.

(1) League expansion, relocation and mergers

Since the change of the millennium, establishing new leagues, expansion and merger has become more commonplace in sport. More teams, more competitions, more owners, more fans, more media coverage means more money. In the huge US market it makes sense to expand. The NFL successfully navigated the AFL & NFL merger, further expansion in the 90’s and 00’s, and is currently supporting ownership change, team relocation and stadium (re)construction. However, for minor sports leagues without a global or mass following, like AFL in Australia, expansion and relocation come with increased risks (and rewards).

In the 80’s the sport was nothing more than a semi-professional league, one where even the top players held down full-time jobs and trained in the evenings. After combining three rival state leagues – WAFL, SANFL, VFL – and becoming a national competition in 1990, the AFL has grown exponentially. ‘Footy’, as it’s known locally, is now at the center of Australian sports culture, heralded as the number one sport in following, attendances and revenue. Like the NFL, it has also embraced on-field change, particularly in regards to player safety, but that will be discussed in another post.

(2) Media circus

NFL - Where do I begin? 24-hour TV stations dedicated to nothing but NFL, thousands of blogs, talk-back-radio shows, podcasts, fantasy league and online betting websites sharing unfathomable amounts of information in reviewing past games or previewing upcoming ones. The current NFL is MEDIA – TV, cable, radio, gaming sites and more battling it out for the rights to broadcast games – with billions of dollars of sponsorship revenue at stake. WOW!

AFL - You know, 20 years ago, I never thought I’d see the same thing happen in Australia – but it has. The last media rights deal brokered between the AFL’s hierarchy and winning bidders was $2.5 billion, a 67% increase over the previous deal. The USA’s population is more than 15 times that of Australia’s, and we’re talking $2.5 billion for a sport that's televised predominantly in just 5 cities. That’s a lot of Benjamins. Now, AFL supporters have access to the same content as American fans do, basically 24-7 FOOTY, no matter what device they’re using.

Jerry World - a complex war

NFL - Eccentric and outspoken owners (and executives) like Jerry Jones can be great for sport (and downright terrible at the same time, but let’s focus on positives). Their dreams expand the limits of marketing, stadium design, coaching, player welfare/management and competition. Fans expect results and owners these days go to any length to put a winning product on the field. I think many first considered Jerry Land as ‘over-the top’ or ‘it’s just that bigger in Texas saying’, but that vibe has certainly caught on, even Down Under.

AFL - Starting with far less capital and smaller fan bases, AFL teams are now competing like crazy to outdo each other with multi-million-dollar training complexes and the most advanced training and coaching strategies to get the best out of their athletes on weekends. Up-to-date research in sports science, nutrition and player welfare leads to policies that ensure a safer and healthier workplace, and to help players prepare for their post-football careers. Stadium construction and relocation of teams stimulate interstate travel among supporters, local employment and economies. Revenue for the league is shared among teams to create parity and used to ensure the sport continues to grow and prosper at grass-root levels on a national scale. It could be said that business is booming on all fronts.

In summing, progress in sport (or any industry) can find its roots in globalization and advancements in media technology (cable, Internet, streaming, SNS, etc). But thanks to the passionate, competitive nature of its leaders, and the desire of media to collect and disseminate information (relevant or irrelevant) to the masses in real time, the NFL has in many ways taken sport, sports media and culture to new heights, with many other sporting codes and leagues coming along for the ride. Well done NFL. On behalf of AFL fans in Australia and around the world, I say, “Thank you.”

(Just in case you plan to ask; NO, I don’t think most NFL or AFL players make good role models for our children. This post is not about them, more the growth of sports in general)