Pro Bowl Confirmed for Aloha Stadium in 2013

By Wendy Osher

Today the National Football League and NFL Players Association today announced it will hold its 2013 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium for the 33rd time.

In a joint press release, the league and players association confirmed that the game will be televised live on Sunday, Jan. 27 on NBC, and again serve as the signature event to kick off the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

“The players have made it clear through the NFL Players Association that they would like the opportunity to continue to play the Pro Bowl in Hawaii,” said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson in a statement today.

The Pro Bowl was held consecutively in Hawaii from 1980 to 2009.  In 2010, the game was moved by the NFL to the week before the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl then returned to Hawaii for the 2011 and 2012 games.

“We have had many discussions with the players in recent years about the Pro Bowl and they recognize that the quality of the game has not been up to NFL standards. We look forward to working with the players toward the goal of improving the competitiveness of this season’s game,” said Anderson.

Hawai’i Governor Neil Abercrombie responded to the announcement saying, “This is wonderful news for football fans in Hawai’i and elsewhere who love watching the game. It’s also great news for NFL Players and their families who enjoy coming to our Aloha State.”

In the 2012 edition, the Pro Bowl on NBC attracted an average of 12.5 million viewers.

Gov. Abercrombie said he has had discussions with both the NFL and Hawai’i Tourism Authority about ways to provide a renewed experience for the players, visitors, people of Hawai’i and fans around the world.

“Hawai’i has a variety of cultural experiences to offer and we want to be sure to highlight our uniqueness beyond the beauty of our landscape,” said Gov. Abercrombie.

“We look forward to working with the NFL and the HTA in this partnership and offer our hand in assisting the NFL as it builds relationships with our friends in Asia,” he said.