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AFL is founded
James Foster first draws his outline of a miniture football feild, soon to become the Arena Football League. -
First AFL Game Held
The first game was held as a "Test Game" and the league was given a positive response by fans. -
First Arena Bowl was held
Denver beat Pittsburgh in Arena Bowl I, aired on ESPN. -
First international game held
The first international game was held in Paris with 13,500 fans watching. -
AFL Hall of Fame begins
The AFL inducts their first Hall of Fame class including:
Dwayne Dixon, James Foster, Jerry Kurz, Tim Murcum, Gary Mullen, Tate Randle, Alvin Rettig, and Craig Walls -
Network TV Debut
AFL makes it's Network TV debut, airing on ABC during Arena Bowl XII and is viewed by more than two million fans -
AFL adds sponsers
Arena Football adds blue-chip sponsors Ford Trucks and U.S. Army, and creates an internet partnership with nfl.com -
NBC partnership
The AFL and NBC announce a broadcast partnership. NBC will televise AFL games on Sundays, including the playoffs and ArenaBowl and season will now start in February instead of April -
AFL and AFLPA reach agrrement
The AFL and Arena Football League Players association solidify a long-term Collective Bargaining Agreement that runs through 2010-the longest and most far-reaching in professional sports. -
AFL partners with Nike and Upperdeck
AFL announces a multi-year partnership with NIKE, the first-ever exclusive "head-to-toe" uniform supplier/apparel partnership in its history, and with Upper Deck, the first-ever pact between the AFL and a sports trading card and memorabilia company. -
AFL partners with Fox Sports
AFL and Fox Sports Networks announce a multi-year agreement to carry regular-season AFL games on 11 of FSN's owned and affiliated regional sports networks. -
AFL agreement with ESPN
ESPN and the AFL enter into a five-year agreement that includes extensive multimedia rights and a minimum of 26 televised games per season, beginning in 2007. ESPN has also purchased a minority ownership stake in the AFL as part of the agreement that enhances ESPNs football programming lineup, the most comprehensive in sports television, with year-round football on Monday nights. -
AFL agrees with CBS Sports Network
CBS Sports Network and the AFL sign a two-year television agreement and announce that ArenaBowl XXVI will air live on CBS Television.