National Football League hunts UK chief marketer
The US National Football League (NFL) is seeking a head of marketing to replace Gareth Davies, who is leaving to join advertising agency Euro RSCG.
Davies, who joined 15 months ago, has been responsible for boosting interest in NFL in the UK and liaising with the US. The NFL has been focusing its UK marketing activity primarily on the 16to 24-year-old age group.
The focus on the UK comes after the NFL voted to scrap its European marketing approach in October 2006. Until last year, there was a NFL League in Europe but this has now been disbanded.
The NFL decided to focus on a “top-down” approach in the UK, as it is the world’s second biggest sports rights market. The NFL hopes that bringing US teams to play in the UK will gain greater TV coverage and raise its UK profile.
Last October, the Miami Dolphins played the New York Giants at Wembley and this year the San Diego Chargers will play New Orleans at the same venue. Further games are planned in the UK for 2009 and 2010.
Sky Sports has a commitment to show four hours of NFL a day, 365 days a year, while the BBC screened the Super Bowl for the first time earlier this week.
