My ESPN fantasy team, Skyy’s The Limit (named after Kansas City Chiefs’ rookie Skyy Moore), has ended the season with a league victory. Yet my interest in watching the playoffs and Super Bowl LVII remains ‘sky’ high. Let’s face it, the NFL has built the ultimate entertainment brand watched by men and women, both young and old. It’s a cross-generational brand. It’s also one of the few remaining appointment TV programs I keep because I can get most of my quality entertainment from streaming services.
As the Super Bowl draws millions of fans from a variety of platforms each year, the world of … [+] marketing needs to take note.
Think about some of the consumer trends we can find inside the NFL brand. According to the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association, over 62 million fans participated in fantasy sports in 2022, and the NFL was the number one beneficiary of this trend with the most participation.
For me, fantasy games allow me to stay connected with my adult son who lives in Chicago. On a weekly basis, we confirm bye weeks, check signals to see who we need to juggle to handle the injuries, and bet on anything and everything under the sun.
Like millions of NFL fans this time of year, I’m grading everything, from Kevin Hart for DraftKings doing scripted TV spots, to the possibility that Rob Gronkowski will make a field goal during halftime at State Farm Stadium courtesy of FanDuel. These gaming brands are integrating entertainment into their marketing activation strategy. That’s not shocking given how successful they are at creating engagement.
This is the first year that the Super Bowl will be played in a state with legalized online sports betting. According to Nick Dan-Bergman, a consumer researcher and casino marketing expert with LaneTerralever, ‘Many Gen Z and younger millennial consumers will experience gaming for the first time from the comfort of home on their mobile device. But don’t call it a phone because it’s really a modern-day Swiss Army knife capable of so much more.’ Dan-Bergman continued, ‘Over the past few years, we’ve seen companies competing based on who could offer this biggest promo, but that’s not a recipe for long-term loyalty. This generation of consumers craves a simple and familiar in-app experience, which has become the new competitive battlefield as the games offered and associated odds vary less from platform to platform over time. This year we expect to see many of the players in online sports betting have a major presence at the Super Bowl’.
Super Bowl ticket trends
Ticket prices will likely mirror trends from past seasons for the Big Game. If you expect to experience this brand spectacle in person, the current price starts at $5,100 a seat just to get in the building. The 2020 Super Bowl featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami saw the highest average ticket price of $7,065. According to Dan Rouen, a live events dynamic pricing expert with Tickets For Less, ‘This year’s opponent match up will have a big impact on ticket prices.’ A Chiefs vs. Eagles matchup could drive record pricing, whereas a Bengals repeat appearance will drive the lowest price.
So, what can CMOs near and far learn from the NFL?
First, price elasticity is alive and well. If you are a fan of a specific brand, you will pay more than a modest price premium to display your fandom, even if you aren’t in Phoenix at the live event. Plenty of fans will buy jerseys, host a party for friends to watch TV and have fun.
Second, the notion that loyalty doesn’t exist is clearly a non-starter. Fans will be arguing and having fun talking about everything from their favorite ad to whether Rihanna was the best Halftime performance they’ve ever seen. Ultimately, fans are giving up a big chunk of their weekend to engage and participate.
Finally, as David Ogilvy once said, ‘You can’t bore people into buying your product.’ With 110 million people expected to watch the Super Bowl—which would make the game the 12th largest country in the world just behind Japan with 112,000,000 citizens—the NFL has clearly defined itself as an entertainment juggernaut, and isn’t that part of the goal of most brand marketers?
I’m here in Phoenix and can’t wait to see what brands do next.
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Football is arguably one of America’s favorite pastimes. This is no secret. Every fall and winter, households across the country – from the west coast of California to the east coast of Maine – come alive with the sound of shouting fans, eager to watch the latest gridiron games on TV. The National Football League (NFL) reigns supreme as the one of the most popular sports leagues in the United States and around the world, boasting an immense fanbase of over 110 million people.
So what has allowed the NFL to amass such a massive following? Well, a lot of it can be attributed to the league’s more than century-long existence. As the oldest professional football league in America, it has been running since its humble beginnings in 1920 when it was launched as the American Professional Football Association. Today, the NFL has become a well-oiled machine, thanks to its perfectly-crafted marketing tactics and well-thought-out strategies.
In terms of marketing, the NFL has shown its prowess by utilizing every medium available to reach target audiences. This includes highly effective digital campaigns that leverage its strong presence on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) as well as highly engaging TV promotions that capitalize on the NFL’s massive viewership.
The league has also worked hard to establish tight partnerships with various companies and sponsors. This strategy has allowed the NFL to gain even more exposure while also raking in huge amounts of money through sponsorships and advertising. And, of course, let’s not forget its successful venture into broadcasting. The NFL’s cable channel is now nearing 20 million subscribers, allowing the American football powerhouse to reach a broader range of consumers.
Apart from its marketing prowess, the NFL also excels in terms of fan engagement and loyalty. By listening to its fans and responding to their feedback, the NFL continues to make the fan experience more interactive, which has helped it retain its existing fans and gain new ones. For instance, the league recently launched an official fantasy football app, which is undoubtedly one of the best mobile gaming experiences in the market.
At its core, the NFL’s success can be attributed to its ability to grow and adapt to an ever-changing market. It continues to remain at the forefront of the sports industry by continuously listening to its fans’ feedback and implementing strategies that ensure maximum engagement and loyalty. These qualities have made it one of the most popular leagues in the world, and it is clear why 110 million fans can’t be wrong.
