The producer who supplies game coverage and audio travels to all road games. Travel costs are subsidized by sponsorships and advertising sold by Journal Interactive's sales staff, Longdin says. When asked about the return on investment, Longdin mentions the potential for online sales of licensed merchandise. For now, though, he offers the same notion that's passed the lips of every online entrepreneur since the beginning of the online gold rush. You have to give users a reason to come back to your site.
Loyalty is crucial, but the next phase demands actual revenue return for publishers' efforts.
If viewers value the quality of local NFL coverage and visit every week, these sites become natural advertising platforms for local marketers. Publishers should also take advantage of fans' affinity for their team by selling a locker room's worth of licensed merchandise, including caps, posters and jerseys. In cities where fan support wanes, local sites can partner with the team to sell tickets online. PioneerPlanet sold coffee mugs, sweatshirts, posters and mousepads decorated with Vikings section fronts from the print paper. A third party fulfilled the orders and took a percentage of the transaction.