Virgin Atlantic Flight Plan Going From U.S. To London For NFL International Series
By Barry Janoff
October 1, 2013: Virgin Atlantic has teamed with the NFL International Series to find one person whose passion for football is so great that they would be willing to fly to London to cover the game between the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 27 in Wembley Stadium.
To further entice people to take on this tedious, dull, uneventful position, Virgin Atlantic said that the reporter would "fly in style to cover the game, interview players, go behind-the-scenes with sideline access and showcase the fan experience from the Virgin Atlantic suite."
A multi-media effort features Adam Schefter, football analyst for ESPN, explaining the details. (ESPN is not affiliated with this promotion.)
"This just in — the hottest job in football is waiting for you," Schefter says in a TV spot. "This is no ordinary job. Virgin Atlantic is looking for a 'red hot reporter' to go behind the scenes at the International Series game on Oct. 27 between the San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars." (See the full spot here.)
Virgin Atlantic has pushing the effort through social media and is directing people "to show their passion for football and reporting abilities through a short video." Videos are being submitted via Twitter. (Full details here.)
Virgin Atlantic is in its fifth season as an official partner of the NFL International Series. The carrier flies the NFL teams from the U.S. to the U.K.
“Virgin Atlantic is excited to be chosen once again as the official partner for the NFL International Series, giving us the opportunity to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience to our red hot reporter,” Chris Rossi, svp-North America for Virgin Atlantic, said in a statement. “We’re looking for someone who can capture the essence of the NFL International Series and present it back to the U.S. audience.”
The NFL this season for the first time is playing two in-season games in London. The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-27, in Wembley Stadium this past Sunday in front of more than 83,000 fans and a U.S. audience via national TV.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league is moving toward having three games per season in London. The Jaguars have committed to playing their in each of the next four seasons.