Tudor Takes the NFL License

Electric Football’s place in American culture changed forever in 1967. The year is a dividing line for how the game is viewed, with the event dividing the pre-1967 and post-1967 periods being Tudor unseating Gotham as the NFL’s Electric Football licensee.

Behind the scenes in 1966 Norman Sas had been working to convince the NFL that Tudor should be the Electric Football licensee. They were the bigger company, they sold more games, and they had better product distribution. All true – but the NFL wanted something more.

The new NFL No. 510 in the 1967 Tudor sales catalog.

Norman Sas and Lee Payne came up with the “extra” bargaining chip in the form of individual NFL and AFL teams that would not only come in Tudor’s new games, they would be available by mail directly from Tudor’s Brooklyn factory.

Tudor also created three beautiful NFL games, including one NFL game exclusively for Sears, where both Gotham and Tudor would be vying for Electric Football buyers.

Tudor had clearly gotten the upper hand in the Electric Football world. Not only had they landed the NFL, they were in the Sears Christmas catalog for the first time ever.

Earl & Roddy

To learn more about Electric Football, please check out The Unforgettable Buzz, Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!