5 Touchdowns: How the NFL is winning over fans

The National Football League, known as the NFL, is the organizer of what is arguably the United States' biggest sporting event, the Super Bowl. By continuously improving customer experience, the NFL has usurped baseball's title as America's pastime and keeps expanding its fan base.

Discover the specifics of how the NFL captured the hearts of America and is now seeking to do the same in the rest of the world: 

Engaging the masses

Around 100 years ago as American football was getting started, Americans considered baseball their pastime. But football and later the NFL kept drawing attention for gritty, intense, physical games, which are based on military strategy. In the beginning, football teams named themselves after baseball teams and moved their games to bigger cities, where there were more people to convert to fans.

Television brought the game to the masses. In the 1970s and 1980s, the NFL benefited from charismatic players who captivated audiences in advertisements and other venues off the field, too. For example, John Amos, a former NFL player, worked as an actor and gained fame in the TV shows Good Times and Roots. The Chicago Bears famously made a music video, "The Super Bowl Shuffle." Current and former players like Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, and the Manning brothers (Peyton and Eli) are household names and frequently appear in ads, podcasts and more. 

Today, the NFL stands as a cornerstone of modern culture, shaping the zeitgeist in profound ways. NFL franchises represent five of 11 North American pro sports teams generating $100 million in annual sponsorships, according to SponsorUnited (SU) and reported in the Sports Business Journal.

In addition, the NFL outpaces other leagues in social media engagement. The Sports Business Journal reported results from SU that showed the NFL collaborated with almost twice as many brands and generated nine times more engagement on brand-related posts, ringing up 185 million interactions in 2024.

Becoming part of the fabric of American life

"Prior to his death in 2005, Hunter S. Thompson, a foremost chronicler of America's last 50 years, once wrote...'We must have football. What would this country be without football in October?' Thompson's assessment of American culture isn't wrong," writes Anthony Gulizia and Jeremy Willis for ESPN. "The sport's influence and power have led the NFL to touch almost every part of life: TV, politics, food, gaming, business, fashion and on and on."

In fact, about 120 million people will watch the Super Bowl. Brands are paying as much as US$8 million for a Super Bowl ad in 2025, according to USA Today. US President Donald Trump will go to the game and participate in the traditional post-Super Bowl presidential interview. The point is that the NFL still attracts attention from a wide and diverse audience in a way that prime-time television, so-called "blockbuster" movies and other pasttimes of yesteryear no longer do. 

Targeting unexpected groups

The NFL has a history of targeting women, who had previously been ignored as a fan base. Women make up more than 45 percent of the NFL audience, according to USA Today. While many credit Taylor Swift, who is dating Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, which is playing against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX 2025, for bringing Swifties to the game, the NFL says this fan base was already growing. 

"Football is the number one sport among women in the US, and we keep growing," says Marissa Solis, the senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing at the NFL, according to USA Today.

Indeed, back in 2007, Reuters reported that the NFL was already studying how to best win over women fans.

"We think absolutely the female audience is a big potential for us as well as the Hispanic audience and some of the other international opportunities," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the time.

The first step the NFL took to reach women was to offer merchandise made specifically for them. This came at a time when other US sports leagues, including soccer, ignored increasing interest from women. 

In addition to women, the league has sought to gain appeal abroad, too. A failed European league has not stopped the NFL from hosting games in England, Spain and Germany. The NFL is expanding its international games to eight in the next season and may host regular season games or Pro Bowls in Australia by 2026, according to CBS Sports. Other countries that will see NFL games on their soil include Ireland, Brazil and Mexico. The article's writer Jonathan Jones even went on to spill this tea: 

"The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell haven't been shy about the international push. While an international team (or division of teams) is not being considered, Goodell made headlines recently when he floated the idea of a London Super Bowl. Sources across the league have since said an international Super Bowl isn't legitimately on the league's agenda."

Leveraging data analytics

Like every other business these days, the NFL is using all the data analytics available to it to predict, anticipate and respond to customer needs. In September 2024, the NFL and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced they were extending their partnership, which dates back to 2017. The NFL leverages AWS' artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to "shape the future of football," according to the NFL.

The objective with this service is to provide up-to-date and innovative game stats to fans while play is live. It also "enhances fan engagement" by enabling alternative broadcasts and providing other ways to take in the action on the field. 

Data also informed a decision on the part of some NFL teams to implement digital ordering systems for their concessions. After learning from mobile ordering app Tapin2 that 66 percent of fans were willing to spend more to wait less, teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers added mobile ordering options at their stadiums, according to Brittany Hodak, author of Creating Super Fans. 

She also shares how some NFL teams are providing personalized experiences for fans. For example, the Tennessee Titans are targeting the team's most passionate fans by offering them the chance to buy exclusive tickets to the Mosh Pit, an area in the stadium that offers the closest access to live performances and the game. Fans must apply and prove their love for the team before they can make a purchase. 

Partnering with other brands

On Black Friday 2024, the NFL partnered with NBC, Walmart and Amazon to have QR codes linked to shopping experiences embedded in games on screen, according to PYMNTS. It worked with Verizon to provide mobile phone experiences throughout the season and FanFest on Super Bowl Sunday. Most fans cannot afford the ticket prices upward of US$3,000 for the cheapest seats in New Orleans. So, Verizon is launching the first FanFest, which will have 30 stadiums opening for free to Verizon customers to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday. Local vendors will provide refreshments free of charge. There will be player meet and greets and live performances by local musicians. These are just a few examples of the many partnerships between the NFL and other brands. 

As fans tune in for the game (or the commercials and half-time show), the NFL will continue its quest to dominate world sports. Its playbook will continue to include bringing the game to the people, targeting niche groups, leveraging data, personalizing experiences and partnering with other brands. However, as demographics shift in the US and more people who grew up watching soccer come of age, and the United States hosts the 2026 World Cup, will football find competition from futbol? 

Quick links

• How the Minnesota Twins changed fan experiences forever
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