By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
Tourism officials yesterday said the inaugural Popeyes Bahamas Bowl generated $9.6 million in marketing value for the Bahamas, although there was no confirmation of how much revenue the event generated and its costs.
LeRoy Archer, the National Sports Authority’s (NSA) chairman, in a brief interview with Tribune Business, said: “To the best of my knowledge, I think we are pleased with what occurred. The world now sees that we can pull of a top quality Bowl game.”
As to how much revenue the event generated, Mr Archer said: “I can’t speak to that right now,” adding that he was off-island and would be better-placed to provide those details later in the week.
Mr Archer had warned in an October 6 letter to Obie Wilchcombe, minister of tourism, that the $70,000 stadium rental fee stipulated in the agreement with organisers Conference USA would only cover event security and staffing costs.
He had called for “initial funding for the event” to be provided to the National Sports Authority, meaning that the taxpaying Bahamian public - via the Government - would be called on to underwrite the event.
The document also revealed that, despite National Sports Authority objections, the contract with Conference USA had given away 100 per cent of the event’s most valuable income streams for he entire six-year period covered by the deal.
These are the TV, radio and all media related rights, potentially a multi-million dollar income stream that could have financed the National Sports Authority and removed it from the Government’s ‘subsidy list’.
The Ministry of Tourism, though, has pronounced itself happy with the publicity and marketing value the Christmas Eve event generated for the Bahamas.
The Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, which was broadcast live on ESPN, had the potential to reach 110 million TV viewers. And the Internet reach added another 4.4 million.
The Internet and TV were estaimated to have generated $4.424 million and $4.703 million worth of marketing value respectively, with print media coverage of the Bahamas Bowl adding another $473,689.
The game, which took place at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium, saw Conference USA’s Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers square off against the Mid-American Conference’s Central Michigan University Chippwas, with the Hilltoppers emerging victorious 49-48 in a wild finish.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID