NLL Insider

The New York Titans were one of the league’s best on-field success stories, finding their way to the 2009 championship game in only their third season.

With the franchise’s relocation to Orlando, the Titans are now hoping off-field success will follow.

“The early feedback has been very positive,” says Steve Donner, president of the Titans. “Our expenses to operate the team are considerably less and the rent is much more reasonable (in comparison to New York).

Donner suggested an NLL team in New York could work, provided better arena deals were negotiated. In hindsight, he says “it was suicidal” with the high costs in New York to try and run the team independently.

“The only professional team operating in Central Florida is the Orlando Magic,” added Donner, who noted the National Basketball Association (NBA) team is capping their ticket sales and the Arena Football 1 League Orlando Predators “are trying to come back but face many hurdles”.

Even if the Predators return, Steve Donner says Orlando has the market size to support the Titans. Florida’s population ranks fourth highest amongst all US states, coincidentally, one spot behind New York.

“Lack of competition, better costs, good dates and a very hungry lacrosse community is going to help,” says Donner.

“It seems like the lacrosse community is dying to be part of the mainstream lacrosse world,” stated Donner, adding sales are coming from across Florida. “I think we’re a bit of the bridge to the mainstream lacrosse community and they’re embracing us with enthusiasm.”

Ultimately, however, the Titans success will likely be decided by the non-lacrosse market.

“This is a very young and outgoing community,” offered Donner when questioned. “I guess you could say it’s a party-crowd to a certain degree… I think the nature of our game and the physicality of our sport is going to be very popular.”

“Between corporate sponsorships which is going well, the newness of the product, the excitement of the NLL and the new building coming up, there are a lot of things working in our favor down here.”

The franchise will begin play in Amway Arena. The stadium seats 16,000 but the Titans will likely drape-off the upper bowl to create a better in-game atmosphere with 9,000 lower-bowl seats.

In 2011, the team plans to move along with the NBA Orlando Magic into the new $400 million city-owned Amway Center.

“If we’re in that 5,000 to 7,500 paid (fans per home game) for Year 1, we’re looking at 9,000 to 10,000 in the new building. That’s our goal right now,” said Donner, who has helped launched several start-up sport franchises.

Currently season ticket sales for the Orlando Titans are just below 1,000.

That mark is better than what the franchise was able to pull in New York, jumping from arenas located in New York City, Uniondale, Newark and Trenton.

Advertising in Orlando started when the Titans first announced their move. Last week, the franchise also launched 30 new billboards across Central Florida that will stay up into the month of January.

In addition to a telemarketing campaign, radio and T.V. advertisements, the Titans later this month will launch a mobile campaign that goes to where potential fans are with guerrilla marketing.

“We’re going to have a pretty comprehensive lead-in into the start of the season with print media, billboard ads and guerrilla marketing,” says Donner. “The media has been very cooperative.”

“There’s much more brand awareness to the NLL than we initially imagined. I’m pretty excited about our launch.”

“I think we’re going to see methodical growth from the league,” added Donner, when speaking of the NLL overall. “We drew overall pretty well through a tough time last year and that’s the strength of the league.”

10,000 fans per home game is what the NLL averaged last season, and the league’s two lowest drawing franchises have relocated this season with the Titans move to Orlando and Stealth’s relocation to Everett.

“From a business standpoint, I think we’re going to have a very solid year,” offered league commissioner George Daniel.

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