Patriots’ perfection will mean bigger paychecks

There’s more. “The potential for increased ticket prices, increased sponsorship rates and the possible addition of new sponsors to their portfolio are three ways the Patriots can drive revenue following a perfect season,” McBride noted.

Increased ticket prices may be the only way to hike revenue in that area. The Patriots sold out all 68,756 seats for each home game at Gillette Stadium this year, with an average ticket price exceeding $90, and boast a season-ticket waiting list exceeding 50,000.

Fans will also pack the stadium for their playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars this Saturday. If the Pats win, expect another massive crowd at the AFC Conference Championship game the following week. But the sellouts, which will continue for years even if the team stumbles, now have an additional advantage: They boost traffic at Patriot Place, a shopping complex near Gillette Stadium that just started to open stores on land Kraft bought more than 20 years ago.

Corporate sponsors already affixed at the stadium, from Bank of America to McDonald’s, are in heaven. McBride pointed out that Bank of America has recently begun offering consumers an exclusive suite of Patriots Banking products (branded checks, credit cards and debit cards). No doubt the Patriots will be in a strong position to dictate prices when deals end and can attract more sponsors with ease if they desire.

Television? The Patriots have arguably gotten more attention (also known as free publicity) this year than any team in NFL history, boosting their brand. But the networks and the leagues have also benefited.

The Pats’ Dec. 3 game against the lowly Baltimore Ravens on ESPN was the top-rated NFL cable game of 2007, and its 17.5 million viewers was ESPN's biggest audience ever. Not only that, the franchise has given the stumbling NFL Network a jolt: According to Mediaweek, the cable channel was able to sell some 30-second spots for the Patriots-Giants game Dec. 29 for $200,000 — more than double the usual price.

Because of their success, the Patriots prompted the first NFL triple simulcast in league history, with CBS, NBC and the NFL Network airing the team’s 16th win in that Dec. 29 battle. New England has helped the NFL brand become even more popular.

The biggest impact of an unheard-of 19-0 mark may be on the worth of the franchise. Already having skyrocketed to more than $1.2 billion, according to Forbes, from the $172 million Robert Kraft paid for the team in 1994, it is sure to jump again and may even surpass Washington, the second most valuable franchise in the league. (With a new stadium set to open in 2009, No. 1 Dallas may be untouchable).

How will the architect of perfection, Bill Belichick, cash in? Reviled and fined $500,000 for Spygate at the start of the year, the hooded coach isn’t the type to care about endorsements. But when he’s retired and reflecting on the stunning run, he will still draw interest from marketers – after all, septuagenarian Don Shula, coach of the 17-0 Dolphins, is going strong touting Nutrisystem and its weight-loss system in TV commercials.

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