Reddit announced a new partnership program with major sports leagues to enhance fan engagement and create new advertising opportunities. 

The program, which includes collaborations with the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA TOUR, and NASCAR, provides Redditors with access to video highlights from games and tournaments, player AMAs (Ask Me Anything sessions), behind-the-scenes videos, and other exclusive content posted by the leagues throughout their seasons and during major events.

According to Reddit’s data, sports are one of the platform’s most popular and fastest-growing interest groups, with a 26% year-over-year increase. The platform hosts over 1,000 active sports communities, which generated 20.4 billion screen views in the last 12 months and 249 million global monthly engagements.

“Reddit is the go-to destination for sports fans worldwide because it’s where they can dive deeper than anywhere else and connect with other fans beyond the season and throughout the year,” said Reddit Chief Operating Officer Jen Wong in the announcement.

The program offers advertisers opportunities to align their brands with these communities and content experiences. During an initial test with the NFL in the 2023-24 season, several brands, including Samsung, Ford, and Volkswagen of America, participated. 

Reddit reports that an alcoholic beverage brand saw significant lifts in purchase intent (+11.3 points), brand favorability (+9.4 points), and awareness (+5.9 points) by activating premium video content from the NFL.

The NFL, an early adopter of Reddit’s Pro user features, has actively engaged on the platform since 2019. During the 2023-24 season, the r/NFL subreddit grew by over 3 million subscribers. The league has hosted live AMAs, including a Pro Bowl session with players answering questions from a dedicated Reddit space on the field.

NFL VP of Business Development and Strategic Investments Brent Lawton commented on the partnership renewal: “By renewing our partnership, we can continue engaging with Reddit’s growing NFL fan base and provide powerful content to advertisers looking for an NFL audience.”

Reddit’s research indicates that more than half of its users believe the platform allows them to be a “bigger sports fan” and provides camaraderie they can’t find elsewhere. Reddit’s announcement stated that most its sports followers also believe that ‘sports culture’ is as influential as the game itself.

While the current focus is on sports, the company suggests that the partnership program could expand to other highly engaged fan communities in areas such as entertainment and lifestyle.