NEW YORK – The Arena Football League today announced a new weekly radio program for the 2004 season that will make its debut on Sports Byline USA this Thursday, February 5 at 9 p.m. ET.
The one-hour program titled, “This Week in the AFL,” is scheduled to air every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET throughout the AFL season. The show will be replayed again each Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The final program will air the week following ArenaBowl XVIII.
The show will air on Sports Byline USA’s network of affiliates, Sirius Satellite Radio (Stream 122), more than 500 worldwide affiliates of the American Forces Radio Network, various airlines as an in-flight audio option, throughout Canada and on Radio New Zealand. The program will also be accessible online at www.sportsbyline.com and www.arenafootball.com.
“’This Week in the AFL’ on Sports Byline radio, along with our new television show on Fox Sports Net, extends the AFL’s reach beyond the schedule of weekend games,” said MARC LOWITZ, AFL Vice President of Broadcast and New Media. “AFL fans now have the opportunity to watch games every weekend on NBC and the teams’ local broadcasters and catch up with AFL news during the week on Fox Sports Net and Sports Byline.”
The show, hosted by San Francisco native and veteran sports broadcaster LARRY KRUEGER, will include a recap of the previous and upcoming week’s games, focused match-ups, an AFL fantasy segment, and interviews with players, coaches and other AFL personalities.
“We are thrilled to add the AFL to our programming lineup and bring this fan-friendly sport to our listeners worldwide each week,” said DARREN PECK, President of Sports Byline USA. “We are very proud to be a part of the league’s growing success.”
Fan loyalty is the hallmark of AFL partnerships. An ESPN Sports Poll released in November 2003 revealed for the third consecutive year that AFL fans are more likely to try, switch, and remain loyal to a sponsor's product due to a sponsorship of an event/sport they follow than fans of NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and NASCAR.
ABOUT ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Often recognized as one of the nation's most affordable and fan-friendly sports
leagues, the Arena Football League, the second-longest running football league
in U.S. history, will begin its 18th season in February 2004. On the strength
of its Mission Statement and Fans' Bill of Rights, the AFL is America's fastest
growing sport. The Austin Wranglers join the Philadelphia Soul and New Orleans
VooDoo as the three expansion teams added for the 2004 season. At least two
more teams will be added in each of the next two seasons. A network-TV sport,
the AFL will celebrate its second season on NBC in 2004.