A few years ago I lived in Chicago and was the Managing Partner of a sports marketing company. At one time we were commissioned to work on the feasibility study of a women’s sports channel; more specifically, was a 24-hour channel devoted exclusively to women’s sports viable?
Our research indicated it was. The advertising dollars, availability of programming, and sponsorship support were all there. A plethora of live sports – youth, collegiate, and professional – were ready to be televised. Similarly, film and tape showcasing the rich history of women’s athletics was also available and affordable.
The company that requested the research pondered the overall findings but ultimately decided not to go forward. Although everything seemed to be in place, the general feeling was that America was not quite ready for a 24-hour women’s channel and they passed.
Ironically, five years later, there seems to be more sports channels available than ever before. In fact, there’s a channel for just about every sport except one exclusively involved in women’s sports. CSTV, Fox College Sports, and ESPNU are the latest additions to already numerous regional sports channels.
It’s a wonder there isn’t a high school football channel in the offing. Covering and reporting on prep football has become nearly a year-round activity – games in season, the recruiting process in the off-season, and features related to unusual or interesting stories throughout the year. In this issue, American Football Monthly has devoted a large portion of its content to high school football. Among the features:
• A panorama look at some successful programs across the country.
• A feature on strength and conditioning programs on the high school level.
• An inside look at ‘feeder systems’ on the prep level and how that trend is growing.
• Our annual high school State Champions survey.
We hope you enjoy them and welcome any feedback about the features. Clearly, the coverage of high school football – from games to recruiting – has grown exponentially over the past ten years. Television is airing more prep games than ever before and recruiting services now provide daily updates on the internet.
Maybe a high school football channel is closer than we think. After all, many experts felt the Golf Channel would never work when they started ten years ago.
As always, if there is anything we can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 561-355-5068 or email rlardner@lclark.com.
Our research indicated it was. The advertising dollars, availability of programming, and sponsorship support were all there. A plethora of live sports – youth, collegiate, and professional – were ready to be televised. Similarly, film and tape showcasing the rich history of women’s athletics was also available and affordable.
The company that requested the research pondered the overall findings but ultimately decided not to go forward. Although everything seemed to be in place, the general feeling was that America was not quite ready for a 24-hour women’s channel and they passed.
Ironically, five years later, there seems to be more sports channels available than ever before. In fact, there’s a channel for just about every sport except one exclusively involved in women’s sports. CSTV, Fox College Sports, and ESPNU are the latest additions to already numerous regional sports channels.
It’s a wonder there isn’t a high school football channel in the offing. Covering and reporting on prep football has become nearly a year-round activity – games in season, the recruiting process in the off-season, and features related to unusual or interesting stories throughout the year. In this issue, American Football Monthly has devoted a large portion of its content to high school football. Among the features:
• A panorama look at some successful programs across the country.
• A feature on strength and conditioning programs on the high school level.
• An inside look at ‘feeder systems’ on the prep level and how that trend is growing.
• Our annual high school State Champions survey.
We hope you enjoy them and welcome any feedback about the features. Clearly, the coverage of high school football – from games to recruiting – has grown exponentially over the past ten years. Television is airing more prep games than ever before and recruiting services now provide daily updates on the internet.
Maybe a high school football channel is closer than we think. After all, many experts felt the Golf Channel would never work when they started ten years ago.
As always, if there is anything we can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 561-355-5068 or email rlardner@lclark.com.
Respectfully,
Rex Lardner
Managing Editor
American Football Monthly
rlardner@lcclark.com
(561-355-5068)
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