Digital culture will shape the NFL this season and beyond |
Years ago, NFL fans needed to tune in to the TV at the right time and stay glued to the screen to make sure they saw the big plays. Anyone who missed the game had to ask for details at the water cooler the next day or read about it in the paper.
This season, it’s still the same game, but it doesn’t look like it did in the past. Almost everything but the players and the ball are digital now. More than 40% of fans watch the game on streaming platforms. Nearly 8-in-10 fans play fantasy football, with apps, websites and online content competing with game viewing. Players such as Odell Beckham Jr., Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, with large followings, have built media empires with podcasts and streaming shows.
And fans like it that way.
Digital culture is reshaping how the NFL produces, distributes and monetizes sports content, influencing the future of content overall. In this multiplatform ecosystem, media companies have more opportunities to engage fans and deliver value for sponsors.
Live sports are the crown jewel of most content lineups; they attract audiences who engage. The NFL is at the top of the live sports ladder, with the Super Bowl consistently........