The Deafening Silence of NFL Sponsors

Throughout the commercial she razzled and dazzled as she dashed through scene after scene and evaded everyone and anyone with whom she crossed paths trying to pull her flag and render her “tackled.” With flag poised at the hip, she finally finds refuge in the safety of her own home welcomed with what was to be a well-deserved maternal hug. As it ends up in this penultimate scene, even her own mom was deviously in pursuit of her flag. Cute. Smart. Creative.

‍The Common Thread

‍A common thread throughout these ads is that advertising executives, brands and sponsors opted to use star athletes in their natural habitat and execute such advertisements with realism and a bit of the unexpected.

As seen with Mean Joe Green, Michael Jordan, and Derek Jeter, iconic ads are not only memorable but have the tendency to be passed from generation to generation. Inspirational by design, they encourage others to excel and strive to achieve their own personal best.

Sponsor’s yearn for little more than to reach the mindscape of its target market in a novel fashion. Brands need to take a step back and remind themselves of the unparalleled power of an iconic athlete. Relatable. Personal. Intimate. Vulnerable.

‍Postscript: The Future Opportunity

‍There are tens of thousands of professional, collegiate, and eSport athletes in the United States today. How does a brand even begin to find the best fitting, optimal relationship? How does a brand establish confidence that its choice of Athlete A was a better choice than Athlete B — all things being equal (budget, target market fit, alignment of KPIs)?

In the past, there was little a brand could do other than rely on the guidance of its external agencies or an internal gut check to make that decision. That approach is fast becoming a relic of 20th Century sports marketing.

Technology and the algorithms that companies are building are providing access to a brave new world to usher in far more optimal, sculpted, lasting relationships.

‍Steve Feuerstein is a 30-year veteran of the sports marketing and sponsorship industry. A former rights owner of professional sports events, agent to athletes, and tri-state New York radio show host, Steve founded SportsBiz to develop 21st-Century solutions steeped in AI and machine learning previously unavailable to corporate sponsors.

SportsBiz develops dynamic software that serve sponsors of professional sports, collegiate sports, and eSports. The company has recently introduced a novel TV, Web, and Social Media valuation and recommendation solution. Additional soon-to-be-released solutions include Social Impact, Metaverse, BrandMatch, and Campaign Recommendation Engine. Learn more at SportsBiz.com. ‍

Sports sponsorship and the National Football League (NFL) have a real challenge.
‍
There were a total of 49 ads aired during the #superbowl2023 representing 36 minutes of collective commercial broadcast time.
‍
According to the Sports Business Journal, the NFL assembled a sponsorship roster totaling 40 Official Partners for the ’22-’23 season. Those sponsors each pay the NFL rights fees an estimated $40M — $250M annually.

Intellectual property usage — consisting of the rights to the NFL’s coveted name and logo — is routinely one of the more important benefits.
‍
Here’s the kicker: A staggering 78% of all 40 NFL partners opted NOT to advertise during the nation’s biggest game. Of the 11 brands that did, however, ONLY 3 touted their partnership with the NFL by showcasing the brand’s logo next to the NFL shield.

So at the end of the day, only 7.5% of all sponsors of the NFL made the effort to advertise during the game and proudly integrate their NFL designation into their spots. It’s essential to note that collective rights fees paid into the NFL war chest this year totaled an estimated $1.8B.

There’s simply no justification for brands failing to maximize that costly yet special relationship with the NFL. Integrating what they’ve paid for into highly creative advertising that resonates with their target markets is an imperative.

Steve Feuerstein is a 30-year veteran of the sports marketing and sponsorship industry. A former rights owner of professional sports events, agent to athletes, and tri-state New York radio show host, Steve founded SportsBiz to develop 21st-Century solutions steeped in AI and machine learning previously unavailable to corporate sponsors.SportsBiz develops dynamic software that serve sponsors of professional sports, collegiate sports, and eSports. The company has recently introduced a novel TV, Web, and Social Media valuation and recommendation solution. Additional soon-to-be-released solutions include Social Impact, Metaverse, BrandMatch, and Campaign Recommendation Engine. Learn more at SportsBiz.com.
‍‍