Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch thinks the new Alliance of American Football (AAF) will be good for the NFL and football in general.

"If it creates additional interest in the NFL—which I think it will—I think it proves Americans want to watch football 52 weeks a year," he told TMZ Sports.

"I hope it works!" he added.

Tisch noted that the AAF shouldn't provide the NFL with competition when it comes to landing coaching candidates, and that the AAF "should be the best of what a minor league team could be."

Thus far, the new league has generated substantial buzz. On Saturday, it reportedly scored better ratings than an intriguing NBA matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, per Darren Rovell of the Action Network:

While new leagues receive a lot of attention at launch, they often disappear just as quickly. The XFL, for instance, received a ton of buzz on its initial launch but folded after one season (though the league is being relaunched in 2020).

Early returns from the AAF have been mostly positive, however:

And with former NFL players like Christian Hackenberg and Trent Richardson in the AAF, there is added intrigue for football fans as both players attempt to work their way back into the NFL. For football junkies, the developmental league will help fill the void during the NFL offseason and has the potential to become a solid part of the football calendar going forward.