The Latest Niche Sport Goes Down…RIP AVP

Late Friday afternoon, after most of the business world was done for the August week, came the release that the AVP had closed its doors. Despite the success of the Olympics, the marketability of its mature stars, the work of former head Leonard Armato and current head Jason Hodell to build interest and following as a lifestyle sport, the end came in mid-season. It was not for a lack of committment by those running the business, or by its players or its fans. The AVP had even scored a big victory in January by keeping beach volleyball as an NCAA sport, and a flood of new sponsors…KFC, Nivea…had come on in recent months. So why did the AVP join the ranks of the AFL, the IFL, the MISL, the USL. the AAFL and so many other niche league.? It is more a reflection of the continued issues in the economic climate which still has yet to recover. If major sports that have massive audiences, long term media partners, and major brands behind them are struggling to find ROI, then the smaller guys are still the first and the easiest to go. For all the spending that is done at the highest levels of sport…World Cup, NASCAR, the four major sports in the North America, and even now in MLS…the decision makers can still point to millions, not thousands, who will see the product and the brands that are associated with them. While it is true that there are smaller brands looking to activate against a core audience, you still need major exposure to generate the kind of revenue needed to support and sustain an organization for the long run. The AVP was also burdened with the problem of facility…each week a new stadium had to be built and configured in a new site to make the sport run well. It would be like moving a golf course or tennis courts from one place to the next each week. very, very expensive and very cost prohibitive.

The loss of the AVP, which really had been established and run for years, raises questions about who is nex.? Will the UFL make it for another season…will the AFL which came back this season but really has been surviving in anonominity, return stronge. Will WPS, which has lost a few franchises, continue on, and what about lacrosse, which has had both indoor and outdoor growth stunted without mainstream partners and media succes. Are there models…like the Dew Tour or the XGames…tht have worked and continue to be sustainabl. Does the public even need to see these niche sports week in and week out away from major events like the Olympics and World Championship. Figure skating and swimming, two of the biggest Olympic draws, have tried and failed on the pro tour side. Do we need pro lacrosse or indoor footbal.? All to be determined. One thing is for sure though, if all those second and third tier sports continue to fall by the wayside, the collateral damage in unpaid bills, lost jobs, and lost opportunity for emerging brands, will not be healthy for the industry.

The AVP experiental brand model was a good one…it just got too expemsive for the casual fan at this point. Not for lack of trying though.