Last year, NFL and college football combined accounted for 90 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts in the United States.
Those numbers explain why so many brands treat football marketing like a series of tentpole moments. And on the surface, that makes a lot of sense for marketers who are chasing as many eyes as possible. Opening weekend. Rivalry games. The College Football Playoff. The Super Bowl.
A campaign or advertisement tied to even one of those major events can generate significant awareness for participating brands. But despite the potential value of each game, the attention generated by a single event is often short-lived.
Most sports have a few major peaks during their season. Baseball has Opening Day, the All-Star Game and October. Basketball has Christmas Day, the playoffs and the Finals. Even global events like the Olympics or World Cup build toward a relatively short window of peak attention.
Football is different.
Unlike any other major sports property, football commands fan attention well beyond game day, because the game itself is only one touchpoint in a much larger media ecosystem. Fans spend the days between games listening to podcasts, debating rankings, setting fantasy lineups and following players and creators on social media before turning to Thursday Night Football, college football on Saturday, the NFL on Sunday and Monday Night Football.
By Tuesday morning, fans are already looking ahead to the following week's games. That's why the most effective football marketing looks less like a campaign and more like a portfolio. Sponsorship and commercial rights become one piece of a broader strategy that includes athletes, creators, podcasts, social content, events and owned media.
Little Caesars offers a useful example.
Rather than concentrating its football marketing around a single sponsorship, the brand has built a presence across NFL rights, athlete partnerships, college football properties, podcasts and television programming. Consumers could encounter the Little Caesars ad during an NFL broadcast, through a commercial featuring Saquon Barkley and George Kittle, at the Pop-Tarts Bowl or while listening to their favorite fantasy football podcast.
Each touchpoint reaches the same audience in a different environment, thus creating a lasting impression.
Smirnoff has taken a similar approach. While the company maintains a significant NFL presence, much of its football marketing happens outside the game itself through watch parties, hosting occasions, social content and fan experiences that connect with consumers throughout the season.
Neither brand is relying on one individual moment. They're taking advantage of something football offers that no other sport can: months of sustained attention from the same audience.
For years, football marketing was measured by impressions generated during the game. Today, a better question may be: How many times will a fan come across your brand between Week 1 and the Super Bowl?
