Posted on: Monday, February 4, 2002
Legislators debate value of Pro Bowl
By Katherine Nichols
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i is paying the National Football League $4.75 million out of tax revenues for the privilege of hosting the Pro Bowl Saturday. The money comes out of the state's budget for promoting tourism, but not everyone agrees it is the best way to attract visitors.
With Pro Bowl ratings in decline and the game attracting an audience that does not necessarily include the people most likely to vacation in Hawai'i, critics advocate either spending the money elsewhere or paying significantly less for the NFL package.
"I don't think we've gotten the maximum bang for our buck," said Sen. Sam Slom, (R-Wai'alae Iki, Hawai'i Kai).
The Pro Bowl — the 23rd in Hawai'i — accounts for about 8 percent of the state's $61 million annual tourism marketing budget. Tourism officials say they cannot measure how much the Pro Bowl helps the state's No. 1 industry.
"It's a big part of our budget," said David Carey, vice chairman of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and president and chief executive of Outrigger Hotels & Resorts. "Is it worth it? We haven't made that conclusion yet. But some of these things are difficult to measure."
After two decades of hosting the Pro Bowl, the state has yet to get an accurate count of the number of out-of-state fans who attend the game.
This year the Tourism Authority has arranged for Market Trends Pacific to randomly sample Pro Bowl attendees to assess whether people came to Hawai'i for the game or just happened to purchase tickets on their trip.
Of course the Tourism Authority counts on the Pro Bowl to not only draw visitors to the event, but, more importantly, to put Hawai'i in front of millions of Americans in the dead of winter through its broadcast exposure. The value of that is even more difficult to measure.
"Indirect exposure is the word they use," said Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (D-Kalihi Valley, 'Aiea), the chairwoman of the Senate's Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. "But Hawai'i is exposed. Everyone knows about our surf and sand.
"I was told we were getting benefits for (the Pro Bowl expenses), and I wanted to know specifically," Kim said.
Over the past five years, the Pro Bowl's television ratings have slid nearly 60 percent. They will get a boost this year as Japan broadcasts the game live for the first time. But on the Mainland, the Pro Bowl is going up against live coverage of the Winter Olympics in Utah, which is sure to pull away some viewers.
Even as television ratings decline, the state has a contract with the NFL that requires it to pay more for the Pro Bowl in each of the next three years, bringing the price to $5.5 million by 2005.
"The significant decline (in ratings) has been in the last two years," said Mark Rolfing, an NBC Sports golf commentator and former chairman of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority events committee. "The NFL is well aware of the actual ratings, and I have no reason to believe they aren't going to be willing to adjust the agreement or find ways to make good to the state of Hawai'i."
Pro Bowl advocates say that beyond the television ratings on game day, having sports writers and broadcasters mention the "Pro Bowl in Hawai'i" throughout the year — especially during the Super Bowl — is priceless.
The question is, who is listening? "(You) can't just throw out messages anywhere," said Peggy Friedman, associate professor of marketing at Chaminade University. "It is exposure, and exposure can be good, but it's not targeted. (You don't want to) waste dollars by having your message go out to totally irrelevant ears."
One group that doesn't seem to pay much attention to the game is the sports media.
Despite discounted media rates, relatively few sports journalists will make the trip to Hawai'i to cover the Pro Bowl, according to Jim Steeg, senior vice president of special events for the NFL. Compared with the 3,000 journalists who flock to the Super Bowl, only about 50 members of the media will attend the Pro Bowl.
Still, several legislators think the investment is worthwhile, including Rep. Bob McDermott (R-'Aiea, Salt Lake, Aliamanu) and Sen. Fred Hemmings (R-Kailua, Waimanalo). McDermott equated the telecast to three hours of prime-time advertising that highlights Hawai'i's beauty. Hemmings believes the exposure far exceeds what the state would receive on direct advertising for a similar amount of money.
And those who question the value of the Pro Bowl do not necessarily want it gone. Instead, they are advocating more astute bargaining.
"I'm disappointed that we are paying as much as we are," Slom said.
Slom says the deal could be more effectively negotiated. The threat of losing the Pro Bowl does not carry much weight, he said, because the players love Hawai'i and the NFL will do whatever it can to please the top athletes and encourage them to participate in a game many don't want added to their schedule. "I think we could've gotten better deals out of it," Slom said.
Others would disagree, citing previous contract discussions when Orlando appeared to fight for the opportunity to host the Pro Bowl.
Though legislators and tourism officials will continue to argue about the Pro Bowl's value to the state, something that won't change is the game's popularity with fans. The Pro Bowl has sold out 21 of the 22 years it's been in Hawai'i.
