America’s Game? How the NFL Succeeded with a Global Strategy

It is often remarked that the English Premier League is the most prevalent example of a global sports ‘product’. The league’s soccer games are broadcast on television on almost every country on earth. Teams like Manchester United claim to have several hundred million fans worldwide. It’s a massive boon for the Premier League, which has allowed it to become the most financially robust soccer league in the world.

But is the NFL catching up? We would certainly say so. While it has always been the biggest sports competition in the United States, the NFL has implemented a patient global strategy, one that is paying off. American football certainly hasn’t usurped association football just yet outside of North America, but the momentum is clear. How has that been achieved? Let’s take a look at the NFL’s global strategy:

International Games

This season, nine NFL games will be played abroad. These games will be played in Australia, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France and the UK. The latter is the most interesting as the NFL will have three games in London in October. It is now an annual occurrence in London, which has become a huge market for American football. The tactic is a simple one, bringing ‘the show’ to new markets. Without any exceptions, the games sell out the world’s biggest stadiums. It’s an incredible showcase.

Broadcast Deals

This is an obvious one, though having television broadcast deals in place does not automatically mean people will watch. The ace up the NFL’s sleeve in this case has been partnering with local broadcasters. It means that the NFL games become more than a simple feed coming from American broadcasters and studios, with the league bringing in local presenters to front the coverage. It has made the NFL more accessible.

Social Media

No sports league does socials quite like the NFL. The tactic has been to evolve from a standpoint where game footage was a closely guarded asset behind paywalls to something that could act as a teaser to entice new fans to the core product. In short, it opened up its content to social media, allowing fans to see important plays and incidents within moments of them happening. It also did the same thing as it did with television broadcasting, localizing the content so that it remains relevant to specific markets.

Patient Targeting

As mentioned, the NFL has been patient in its approach, but it’s not a free-for-all. For example, it made the logical move to target the UK, which had a mature sports broadcasting infrastructure, and where NFL betting and fantasy sports were already popular. In addition, each team is given certain zones of interest for media rights. The LA Rams, for instance, have been given the Australian market; the New Orleans Saints, France. It allows teams to build up fan bases in certain countries, and it’s an approach that works remarkably well.

An Exporting of Culture

America tends to split opinion among the rest of the world, right now more than ever, arguably, but the NFL has done an excellent job of exporting the culture of American football as a positive aspect. You can see how this is achieved around events like the Kick-Off Game (the opening game of the season), Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course, the biggest export of all is the Super Bowl, including its Halftime Show. The NFL has been astute in promoting it as more than a game – a cultural event, almost a national holiday. That’s worked a treat, as millions of people globally tune in to watch the broadcast and attend Super Bowl parties, even if they have little interest in watching men throw a ball around a field.