Exclusive: Hall Of Fame Resort CEO Talks 'Big Year Ahead Of Us'

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company HOFV is a resort, entertainment and media company dedicated to professional football.

The company has been referred to as "the Disneyland for football" — a good reference given CEO Michael Crawford's 25 years of experience at Walt Disney Co DIS and four years at Four Seasons.

Pent-Up Demand: The National Football League is the most-watched and most profitable professional sports league, Crawford said as a guest on Benzinga's "Power Hour" YouTube show. 

Leveraging the power of the football brand, the company invested $250 million to build out assets at the Hall of Fame Village in Ohio.

The company will host events and music concerts throughout 2021 and the company has a "big year ahead of us," the CEO said.

"We are like a football dynasty, you gotta put a lot of pieces in place to have winning seasons," he said.

The company didn't experience many COVID-19 headwinds in 2020 because it was still in the building phase. It is now well-positioned to take advantage of the surge in pent-up demand for travel and entertainment, Crawford said. 

Ohio officials are targeting 30% capacity at venues by April and 100% capacity by summer.

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Taking A Page From Disney's Playbook: Disney is among the best in the world at not only creating compelling content but transforming it across its different business units.

Crawford is looking to do the same with the Football Hall of Fame, which he said is home to "the best that ever played the game."

Crawford picked up decades' worth of experience at Disney on how to extend and leverage the power of a brand into new business verticals, he told Benzinga.

Exposure To Gaming: Betting on sporting events has evolved over the decades from finding bookies to downloading an app on a smartphone, Crawford said.

Placing a wager on a game today "enhances the experience," Crawford said, adding that as a sports and entertainment company, it is logical for Hall of Fame operate in that space.

Wagering on sports is a multibillion-dollar industry, and "people love to play," he said.

The company will announce details of its unique fantasy league on March 30, including a merchandise launch and potentially the direct involvement of football hall of famers.

HOFV Price Action: Hall of Fame shares were up 6.6% at $2.50 at last check Friday.