AFL games to be televised on ESPN
The league and the network announced a deal that will begin next season.
THE ARENA Football League will have its games shown on ESPN networks starting next year, the league announced yesterday. The Philadelphia Soul is a member of the AFL.
ESPN will have the rights to show more than 10 regular-season and postseason games on its networks. Plus, more than 75 games will be shown on ESPN3. The AFL and ESPN have had a business relationship since 1987, when the network televised the first ArenaBowl live.
"Reuniting with a great partner like ESPN is a clear sign of the positive progress we have made over the past couple of seasons," said Soul owner Ron Jaworski, who also is an NFL analyst for ESPN. "They are the 'Worldwide Leader in Sports' for a reason and this renewed relationship validates our credibility, brings us more exposure and confirms what other partners like CBS have seen with the recent efforts we have made to grow our game in a positive direction.
"We are excited with these partnerships and happy to be teamed with organizations that share our vision for the bright future of our sport."
The Soul, the league runner-up last year, opens its 2014 season on March 15 at league champion Arizona.