Vick Finds Partner to Bring Alliance to Atlanta
Michael Vick and Tim Armstrong Begin Work on Alliance Atlanta
March 27, 2019
Atlanta, GA - Former NFL star Michael Vick announced this morning that the Alliance of American Football would have a team in Atlanta for the 2020 football season. Former AOL CEO and current Oath Inc. CEO Tim Armstrong along with Atlanta Football LLC have put forward the $30M league buy-in. Vick would serve as a minority owner and as a QBs Coach for the team.
Armstrong was a co-founder along with Bill Hambrecht of the United Football League back in 2009.
“I was very hesitant on getting back into football after the way the UFL went down, but Michael was very convincing in the potential of this league to me, and he said Atlanta would eat it up. So here we are. Can't wait to get to work in finding this great city the best coaches and players possible.
With the addition of Atlanta to the 2020 Alliance landscape, the league is now sitting on 21 teams, so expect the league to add at least one more city before the fall. Rumors are circling that another former NFL star was trying to duplicate what Michael Vick did for Atlanta.
Alliance Partnering with DraftKings
March 28, 2019
Stamford, CT - The AAF is increasing its presence in the sports betting industry in a big way, partnering with DraftKings on a deal that Vince McMahon says is the biggest the league has ever done.
The Alliance named DraftKings as its first official sportsbook and daily fantasy partner in the U.S. as part of a five-year deal announced Thursday. The deal is valued at $75 million, including marketing and cash, a source familiar with the financial terms told ESPN.
The amount of cash DraftKings will pay the AAF as part of the deal was characterized as "mid eight figures," the source said, making it one of the largest sports league-sportsbook partnerships formed in recent years.
“We want what our fans want, and millions of football fans have made fantasy and legal wagering an essential part of their football experience,” said AAF Commissioner Oliver Luck. “DraftKings is a leader in this space and shares our commitment to giving fans more ways to connect to the game we all love. This partnership is another great way to broaden our reach and grow our young league.”
The partnership will intertwine the companies with in-game promotions, odds integrations during broadcasts and eventually enhanced prop bets. "I'm looking forward to all the exciting things we're to do with DraftKings over the next few years," Charlie Ebersol said in the release announcing the agreement.