Expansion Of The World Baseball Classic: Can The NFL Ever Reach That Level?

by David Fucillo on Jun 2, 2011 6:01 AM PDT in San Francisco 49ers News

Prior to this latest labor dispute, the NFL had been running pretty much on all cylinders, developing into America's most popular sport. While I contend baseball remains the national past time, the NFL has emerged as the most popular of the four major sports leagues in North America. Aside from this current foolishness, the NFL was practically a year-round institution. Apart from a bit of dead time in May, June, and July, the NFL has basically become a ratings boost all year long.

There is one area though where the battle is a lot more contentious. In the world of international marketing and development, baseball and basketball have done a great job developing their game in other countries. Basketball has long been an international game, and baseball has made huge strides in developing the international aspects of the game. I bring this up now in light of MLB stating that they will expand the field for the 2013 World Baseball Classic to 28 teams. The even will include play-in games for some of the lesser countries, followed by the normal tournament format.

While the WBC hasn't quite reached World Cup levels of popularity (and probably never will), it's been a solid run for the international tournament. My question is whether the NFL will ever be able to develop their game like that? Or do they really need to at this point? The Super Bowl is a hugely-watched program and assuming the league gets its labor house in order, it seems like the gravy train would just keep on rolling. Has the league done enough to develop the game's international impact?

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What level is that?

And what is the WBC?

by Riceball on Jun 2, 2011 6:22 AM PDT reply actions

World Baseball Classic

It’s a tournament MLB runs that is basically like their version of the World Cup. Obviously not on that level, but it’s how they do it. It runs every 3 years right now I think.

by David Fucillo on Jun 2, 2011 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Its 4 now

I guess that changed after the 2nd one occurred 3 years after the first. The next one is scheduled for 2013.

by pack_fan on Jun 2, 2011 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Any business that rests

on its laurels will fade. The model that assumes packed stadiums @ $200 plus will not withstand a shrinking middle class. Youth leagues, HS & colleges are free developmental structures for the NFL. Other nations don’t have that, so thinking of simply copying the US model doesn’t work any better than thinking that ridding Iraq of a tyrant will make it a democracy.
LA fans have figured out that as soon as a team moves there, it will be blackout city if it’s Carolina or Jacksonville. Now they get to watch better games ontheir high defs.
Folks sitting on top are seldom smart – they take personal credit for the work of those long dead.
The NFL could settle this lockout in a few days if both sides gave a little. At that point, they need to figure out how the game is going to play when I can sit at home and watch 7 camera angles and work my own replays. The stadium experience is going to have to keep up. The Niner plans are for yesterday’s stadium.
Once they understand this, they can think international. The movies you see are mostly those that can sell in India and Russia – where it isn’t language & character development, but action & sex. Same with football. The multi-experience is the new norm and you can sell this worldwide. At that point, like BB & NBA you’ll have big stars coming to US to play. Over time FB will migrate naturally to Asia, S. America etc.

by oldfoggy on Jun 2, 2011 8:07 AM PDT reply actions

stadium

Actually, from what I understand they’re looking at a more high tech futuristic style in terms of available technology and the game experience.

by David Fucillo on Jun 2, 2011 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions

Any details or links?

by oldfoggy on Jun 2, 2011 8:59 AM PDT up reply actions

links

These look familiar. I read some stuff a while back on it in which Jed discussed the idea that it would be a high tech facility. I’ll try and find something more specific.

Forbes.com

NBC Bay Area

by David Fucillo on Jun 2, 2011 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions

good post

by mcwagner on Jun 2, 2011 12:03 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

No...

…American football just isn’t popular enough in other countries. And the high equipment and stadium costs make it unlikely the NFL will make much headway in the future.

by Bigmouth on Jun 2, 2011 9:14 AM PDT reply actions

Football is too expensive for schools in most nations.

In most nations outside US, Canada, and parts of Europe, there is no public high school. Besides upper class, most parents can’t afford to send their kids to a high school. Which means, you’re not likely to get very many football programs for kids going in other countries, which in turn, means few adults who can really play. Some of them may like to watch football, but that doesn’t mean many athletes will be developed for football there. Baseball is cheap, you need a ball, a bat, and some gloves. Soccer is huge, because everyone can afford a ball an some posts to kick a ball through. In the U.S., nearly every kid attending a high school can try out for a football team.

by jns8049ers on Jun 2, 2011 9:35 AM PDT reply actions

I think this is the root of the problem

Football is a complicated game to put together which is a big hurdle for it to get going in developing countries. Basketball and baseball (and hockey) already have established bases in other countries, in fact baseball is the national sport in a large number of spanish speaking countries and Japan. Football being a little harder to get started up and its absence in the world market is going to make it difficult to get going as a world sport. I’m also wondering how the injury concern plays in, though I would have to know how that factors in for hockey and rugby. It might be more difficult for poorer countries to provide proper medical care, which is why baseball and soccer are better suited for them.

by pack_fan on Jun 2, 2011 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions