When the Ultimate Fighting Championship proposed to bring a show to Aloha Stadium last year, the organization wanted the Hawaii Tourism Authority to cough up $6 million as a starting point for the privilege.
It was commonly believed that Dana White arrived at that figure by looking at the escalating terms the Pro Bowl had been extracting from the state and figuring, what the heck, let’s try to squeeze them for even a little more.
And, why not? By the time the NFL’s annual all-star game made its last appearance here in 2016, the $5.2 million the state was anteing up (a hike from the previous $4 million) was only part of what came to be criticized as an onerous deal.
For not only was the NFL well paid to come here, but it was not charged anything for use of the stadium and kept all ticket, concessions and novelty revenues, which added to the pot. As a state official once said of negotiations with the NFL, “We went in with a full set of clothes and came out with just our pants.”
Even with some differences in scale, the agreement that will bring the Super Bowl-bound Los Angeles Rams here for an exhibition in August sets up as a more advantageous and certainly less suffocating deal for the HTA and stadium.
According to multiple contracts obtained under the state’s open records law, the Rams will receive a flat $2 million from the HTA.
For that the HTA gets not only the Rams in a game against an as-yet-unannounced NFL opponent in Aloha Stadium, but a season’s worth of visibility and promotion in its biggest visitor market, southern California. That it has come in a Super Bowl-bound year is a sweet bonus.
Under terms of the contract, the HTA was a sponsor of the Nov. 11 game with Seattle and received signage and promotional exposure across a variety of media platforms during the 2018 season. Some of which will carry over into parts of 2019, including the Rams’ draft events.
In addition, the Rams will hold a Fan Fest and open practices here as well as do various community projects.
In a separate, parallel contract with Aloha Stadium, the Rams will keep ticket receipts for their game but the stadium will retain parking and concessions revenues, which could provide more than a $200,000 boost above what the facility took in from the Pro Bowl. In addition, while the Rams will not pay rent, they will be responsible for expenses beyond a certain threshold.
After three years in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium and amid a declining television audience and a sparse in-stadium turnout in less-than-tropical weather this year, the expectation is that the NFL may move its annual all-star game to a different site.
The Pro Bowl, wherever it pitches its tent next, looks to be on its last legs. Or should be.
Meanwhile, the Rams’ preseason game here won’t have the attraction of a regular-season contest, of course. But as the first matchup of NFL teams here since the Chargers and 49ers in 1976, it will have some appeal. Especially if it takes place in the third week of the exhibition season, when the marquee players tend to see their most action of the summer.
Whether the Rams’ visit opens the way for future visits by the team, which moves into a permanent home in Inglewood, Calif., in 2020, or others (the Raiders?), remains to be seen. But as a business model it looks to be a vast improvement.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
