JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Less than a year ago at this time hundreds of Jaguars fans dressed up as clowns to protest the way that the team was being run.
My, how things have changed.
In that time the Jaguars are one game away from winning the division and hosting a playoff game; and that's had a major effect on the city of Jacksonville.
The place to be on Saturday night is TIAA Bank Field for the AFC South showdown between the Jaguars and the Titans. But the place most people will watch that game is on the First Coast News channel ABC 25 and local companies are banking on that.
"This is extremely exciting for not just the Jaguars but for Jacksonville," says UNF Sports Marketing professor Dr. Kristi Sweeney.
Local TV ad time during Saturday's Jaguars game sold out within 24 hours and the rates for those commercials on ABC 25 are 6-times higher than the expected NFL ad buy time in Jacksonville. And the sole reason is that the Jaguars are playing in their most important game in 5 years.
"It's an exciting time to be aligned with prime time games," said Sweeney, "larger audiences from an advertising perspective mean more eyeballs watching is a greater return on your investment."
Sweeney says that the Jaguars are extra marketable for a variety of reasons, chief of which is an extremely identifiable long-haired quarterback who plays extremely well. Beyond Trevor Lawrence, there's also that 4-game win streak that has the team one game away from the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.
"Winning in the NFL scores you prime time slots," said Sweeney. "The prime time slots give you more national exposure and more national exposure gives you greater reach to build your brand value."
A brand that could once again be playoff bound.