Boca Raton, Florida – The American 7s Football League® (A7FL) today announced its strategic partnership with Urban Edge Network and its HBCU+ platform, a leading ad-supported Black College Sports Network. This groundbreaking collaboration enables the A7FL to expand its reach into the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) diverse audience, offering unparalleled access to live and on-demand sports content.
As it enters its historic 10th season, the A7FL has become well known for its gritty authentic style and over-the-top highlights as the no helmets no pads tackle league has carved out a unique niche for younger fans looking for fast paced action.
The league boasts 34 teams across the country, 850k social media followers, and numerous distribution partnerships in addition to streaming on A7FL.TV. Its 2024 season runs from March 24 to July 21 with games starting at 1, 4 and 7 PM ET. This Sunday’s games include:
- 1 PM ET: Baltimore Watchman vs Paterson U
- 4 PM ET: Rahway Shnow Tribe vsTrenton BIC
- 7 PM ET: Vegas Force vs Las Vegas Insomniacs
Urban Edge Network is renowned for HBCU+ and its comprehensive coverage of HBCU games, Pay-Per-View sporting events, original sports shows, curated films, podcasts, and more. With the HBCU+, viewers can enjoy non-televised black college games anytime and anywhere, making it a must-have streaming service for HBCU college sports enthusiasts.
The partnership with Urban Edge Network represents a significant step forward for the A7FL as it seeks to engage with a diverse audience base and strengthen its presence in the streaming market. By leveraging Urban Edge Networks’ diverse audience, the A7FL – with 75% of players identifying as African American and viewership that over-indexes with African Americans – aims to enhance its brand visibility and connect on a deeper level with this core demographic.
Todd Brown, Co- Founder and CEO of Urban Edge Network, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating, “We are thrilled to partner with the A7FL to bring high-quality football content to our audience. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to provide authentic and engaging experiences for the HBCU community.”
Sener Korkusuz, Co-founder, and CEO of the A7FL, highlighted the strategic significance of the partnership, saying, “Partnering with Urban Edge Network extends the A7FL’s distribution network to a broader audience reach that fits perfectly into our streaming strategy. We look forward to bringing the excitement of A7FL football to HBCU fans across the nation.”
About Urban Edge Network and HBCU Plus
Urban Edge Network was curated to level the playing field and provide a platform for diverse voices. As part of the UEN family of brands, HBCU Plus is an ad-supported Black College Sports Network, delivering 24/7 access to live and on-demand Historically Black Colleges and i!Universities games, sporting events, original sports shows, curated films, podcasts, and more. The HBCU Plus app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, iOS, and Android.
ABOUT AMERICAN 7S FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Entering its 10th season, the American 7s Football League (A7FL) has pioneered a familiar yet completely new format for America’s most popular sport: 7-on-7 football without helmets or hard-shell pads. The A7FL’s unique format retains the toughness that fans of all ages crave. At the same time, its gameplay delivers action-filled performances that generate tens of millions of views and attract a new, younger audience (more than 75% are 18-34).
Founded in 2014 by CEO Sener Korkusuz and President Ryan DePaul, the Spring league (April-July) also added UFC® Co-Founder David Isaacs to its ranks and has grown to 36 teams in 10 divisions across the country with over 850K social media followers and partnerships with Caffeine.TV, DAZN, Stadium, and WAVE.tv. To experience A7FL action, go to A7FL.tv, follow us on TikTok and Instagram @a7fl or email info@a7fl.com
