The National Football League (NFL) is expanding its influencer marketing strategy for the 2024/25 season, deploying over 50 creators to produce social content from the sidelines during opening week. 

According to Ian Trombetta, NFL SVP of Social, Influencer, and Content Marketing, this move is part of a broader initiative to reach younger and more diverse audiences.

“Creators are just a great and efficient way for us to continue to reach those fans and offer a different view than just the Xs and Os that our more avid fans may want to see,” Trombetta told AdAge.

The league plans to have creator activations every week of the season, integrating influencers into various aspects of its operations, from B2C products to broadcast partnerships. 

This strategy builds on the success of the 2023 “NFL Creator of the Week” program, which generated 153 million impressions and 46.5 million views for the NFL, as reported by creator agency Whalar.

The NFL is expanding its creator collaborations across multiple platforms for the upcoming season. 

Notably, Brazilian influencer Casimiro Miguel will broadcast and commentate on a local livestream of the league’s first South American game in São Paulo on his CazéTV channel on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.

Partnerships with NBCUniversal, Amazon, Netflix, and Snap

The NFL is partnering with NBCUniversal on a “Transcontinental Tailgate” program, bringing seven creators with a combined following of over 60 million to three league games in four days. 

“This activation provides the creators with unprecedented access to the cultural elements surrounding NFL games, unleashing their passion and creativity and igniting the interest of avid and casual fans who follow these influencers,” Lyndsay Signor, SVP of Consumer Engagement at NBC Sports, said in a press release.

The initiative builds on the success of NBCUniversal’s “Paris Creator Collective,” which comprised 27 influential creators who covered the 2024 Olympic Games and engaged younger audiences through their perspectives and experiences. 

Additionally, the NFL is extending its creator strategy to include collaborations with Amazon Prime Video for “Thursday Night Football” and Black Friday broadcasts and with Netflix for two Christmas Day matches. 

A recent partnership with Snap involves about 11 creators working on AR lenses and other features.

Tailoring Strategy to Consumer Habits

The NFL’s focus on creators is driven by data showing shifting media consumption habits among younger audiences. 

Deloitte’s 2024 Digital Media Trends report reveals that 47% of Gen Z consumers prefer social media videos and live streams as their favorite forms of video content. 

Moreover, over 50% of Gen Z respondents indicated that social content, particularly creator recommendations, often influences their decision to watch TV shows or movies on streaming platforms.

The league also prioritizes partnerships with female and multicultural creators to appeal to these target audiences. 

Trombetta told AdAge that over half of the NFL’s new TikTok followers during the 2023 season were women, citing NFL Fan Tracker’s stats that 66% of U.S. women aged 8+ are NFL fans. 

He revealed that nearly half of the NFL’s creator partners are women, and over 70% of the creators the league has worked with in the past year are diverse.