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ABL: Capatalizing on NBA Lockout

© Colleen Bittner

"Somewhere between going to one game and naming your firstborn 'Starbird.'" This is what the print advertisement promoting three and seven game tickets for the Seattle Reign reads. This year, the Reign has taken a funny approach to their marketing campaign. They have come up with cute slogans. Male cheerleaders who couldn't make a rhyme if the fate of the world depended on it are featured in commercials.

Trevor, Mitch, Vance, Benji, and Kyle make up the new Reign Cheering Squad for the commercials. They will air Monday-Friday during Good Morning America, The Today show, CBS Morning edition, Oprah Winfrey, Rosie O'Donnel, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and Entertainment Tonight. They are also being shown on Channel 11, Channel 13, Lifetime and KWPX as well as other network shows. This is the first time any ABL team has made their own commercials, and the responses have been good. They are funny and definite attention-getters. Even the players like them. After seeing the responses towards the commercials, Shalonda Enis agreed, "They're cool."

The ABL is making their own commercials, featuring the Columbus Quest, 1998 ABL Champions and K.C. Jones, the Head Coach for the New England Blizzard. Last year's commercials featured select players entitled "What I did on my summer vacation."

This year, the ABL television schedule will include as many as sixteen games with Fox Sports Net, including game two, four and five of the ABL finals, the latter two only if necessary. CBS Sports is playing game one and game three of the ABL finals.

"We're very pleased to continue our television partnership with FOX Sports Net for the 1998-99 season," said Cavalli. "FOX Sports Net is a major player in professional sports programming. This agreement gives us a strong national cable package for the regular season and playoffs. Combined with our two championship series games on CBS Sports, we've certainly enhanced the ABL's TV exposure for the 1998-99 season.

"We've worked closely with FOX Sports Net to select game dates that will maximize live clearances and audience size. I'm particularly excited about our telecasts on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Historically, holiday games are special events for sports fans across the country and viewership is up. We're hoping that the ABL will become a part of America's holiday tradition starting this year."

"Hotdogs, Mustard, Sauerkraut, Come Watch Hoops That Ain't Locked Out!" the ABL is taking full advantage of the NBA lockout. Every chance they get, they are reminding people that they happen to be the ONLY professional basketball in town this winter. While the men are fighting for the dollars, the ABL will be making some.

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