Towards an ever more digital NFL

If the sport evolves, the profile of the new generations of fans is not left out. More connected than ever, millennials, Gen Z and Alpha want to live ever more immersive experiences with their favorite clubs and to their delight, some NFL franchises have already taken the plunge:

A 2.0 fanbase

Among the many marketing tools available to the NFL to ensure that the public is always more connected, mobile applications play the leading roles, after all, nothing could be simpler to ensure that a franchise is aimed directly at its fanbase, the real difficulty lies above all in offering innovative content.

Despite questionable sports performance, the Baltimore Ravens are not to be outdone in the digital field and this year offered through the official team application to participate in the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Super Bowl XLVII championship. team with a virtual 2012 championship ring, Super Bowl trophy and exclusive video clips. By pointing the device’s camera at the Baltimore Ravens logo or the Super Bowl XLVII logo on any medium, such as game day coverage at the stadium, fans are taken to the dedicated “Ravens in Reality” featuring augmented reality content, activities and exclusive videos celebrating the unforgettable 2012 season.

The virtual invites itself into the real

NFL enthusiasts who have the chance to go directly to the stadium are of course also entitled to their innovations, especially on the side of Los Angeles. Winners of the 2022 Super Bowl, the LA Rams are very active in the field of fan engagement and are used to offering them innovative solutions, in particular through the use of immersive technologies.

Considered one of the most cutting-edge smart arenas in the world, thanks in particular to its main partner holding the naming right, SoFi Stadium is a model to follow in terms of connection. This allowed the Rams to launch their ARound app, through which fans can access augmented reality content on their smartphones in real time from anywhere in the arena.

By framing the pitch before the match, for example, fans in the stadium can see an augmented reality spectacle come to life on their smartphone screen, making the match experience even more exciting. In addition, activities such as contests, quizzes and player calls are available and are activated at different times during the match in order to involve the fan in an increasingly active and participative way.

Conquering the public through gaming

Acquiring new fans across the gaming world is not new, nor is it exclusive to the NFL, but the fact is that the Madden license is going to have to leave some room for competition. After the launch of the NFL Tycoon game, the NFL’s exploration of Roblox continues with the image of the new game mode offered, this time based on sports simulation.

NFL Quarterback Simulator is indeed the game designed to immerse users in the heat of the action and make them feel like the cornerstone of their favorite team, thanks to the official licenses that the American football league makes available players. With this operation, the NFL strengthens the bond already forged with Generations Z and Alpha through initiatives aimed at involving a younger audience, both through gaming platforms and through the release of NFT with NFL All Day.

Rejuvenation operation

Of course, online video game distribution platforms are not left out either, and intend to take advantage of the media aura of their flagship titles in order to forge partnerships with the NFL. Having exceeded the milestone of 350 million registered players in 2020, Fortnite is a heavyweight in the video game industry, which has not escaped the notice of the NFL. Thus, various agreements concluded with Epic Games in recent years have given a new opportunity to American football to extend its visibility in the virtual sphere.

A desire that stems essentially from the need to lower the average age of the average supporter, which is currently over 50 years old. This is not a question of absolute numbers, since NFL team games attract an average of 23 million viewers a day and the last Christmas Games kept some 138 million fans worldwide watching the television, but rather a question of vision for the future.

Younger generations seem less interested in traditional American sport, so it has become vital for the NFL to reach them through different means. After releasing team skins and creating timed challenges during the last Super Bowl, the latest innovation in Fortnite has been to create a place to fully engage players with themed games and challenges that dive ever deeper users around the NFL world.

Picture credits: Iquii Sport, Statesman

Fabio Lalli (with the collaboration of Mathieu Sauvajot)

Fabio Lalli is an entrepreneur, coach, expert in digital transformation (Loyalty Gamification, Web3 & Metaverse) for the Retail, Finance and Sport industries. He is also the co-founder ofIquii Sportpartner of IN&Sport in France.

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