It’s good to be king. The National Football League certainly wears the crown.
According to SportsPro Magazine , the NFL is the most lucrative individual sports property in the world with annual revenues of $7-billion. All 32 teams ranked in the top 75 of the magazine’s list of sports properties.
The NFL has used a salary cap to assure all of its teams have a chance to compete, a league style that fans have embraced. Through television and attendance, the league estimates it reaches about 120-million fans a week during its season.
The NFL also is working to improve its international popularity with regular season and exhibition games played outside the United States and even outside of North America. The league even has given some consideration to playing a Super Bowl in Europe.
Overview
Headquartered in New York City, the National Football League supports its 32 member clubs on a variety of business, marketing, legal, and operational matters. The league is owned by its 32 franchises and Roger Gooddell serves as NFL commissioner.
Most of the league’s revenue is generated by its lucrative television deals. SportsPro said America’s major networks pay the NFL $3.085-billion a year.
The league features its own television channel, documents its games in film, and features a popular web site.
Job Opportunities
Because of the league’s work with television partners, there are many opportunities in media-related NFL jobs.
Just some of these media opportunities include jobs in digital media at NFL.com, production work with NFL Films, NFL Network production positions, and positions with NFL’s Total Access.
The NFL hires people to work in its marketing department, including international marketing.
It also has its own lawyers, accountants, IT department, and human resources. There are positions to work with player programs and NFL Charities.
The league maintains a job board.
Internships
If you’re interested in getting your foot in the door, the NFL offers internships and entry-level positions.
In the league’s junior rotational program, participants have the opportunity to work at a variety of different areas in this internship program, which can last six months to one year. These positions focus on communications and public affairs, events, finance, football operations, officiating, international marketing, marketing and sales, and media relations.
The NFL also offers a summer internship program in which interns work in specific programs while being exposed to many aspects of a sports business. Areas of interest include many of the same area’s as the junior rotational program.
The league also offers internship opportunities with NFL Films which provides content for NFL Network, networks, NFL.com, home videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMs.
Team Positions
Teams typically hire for many of the same positions listed for the league, but they have additional positions like players and coaches. As part of competing in the NFL, teams also rely on scouts and video coordinators.
Teams also feature operations positions, to oversee their stadium and practice facilities. Teams have superintendents that maintain the practice and game fields. They typically have a travel department.
Sports business schools prepare students for the professional positions available with NFL teams. In making a school choice, find out which schools have relationships with NFL teams in terms of possible internship positions.
Each team operates a web site and they typically include a job board.