It’s no longer a requirement to attend or watch games or don specific colors to be deemed a fan of a team. Now, fandom can come simply by following a team’s account on social media. As fandom has changed, the way teams interact with fans has changed, too.
NFL social media teams across the league have made it a mission to meet fans — and potential new ones — where they are … especially the younger generation.
While a 2022 study by Emory University professor Michael Lewis, found that only 23% of Generation Z — people born from 1997-2012 — define themselves as “avid sports fans” and 27% define themselves as “anti-sports”, the NFL’s success at enticing younger generations is in the numbers.
“We’ve seen the feedback, we’ve seen the engagement, that the more behind the scenes, more access, things that make you feel a part of the team — it’s our objective every day,” Nilay Shah, New York Giants senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy, told ESPN.
According to the Morning Consult, about 68% of Gen Zers use the popular social media app TikTok. This usership has fared well for the NFL, with 23 teams raking in over one million followers each. Teams across the league have routinely racked up 100,000-plus views on videos no matter the time of year.
“Gen Z and Millennial social media culture, I think drives a lot of social media culture in general,” Anna Stolzenburg, director of social media strategy and content at Pegula Sports and Entertainment, working with the Buffalo Bills, said. “So we have a responsibility to be attuned to that and responsive to that.”
There is still a long way to go to get a majority of Gen Zers to be passionate about sports, but the NFL, with the help of TikTok, might have cracked the code on luring the newest wave of fans.
TikTok has allowed fans to see new sides to some of their favorite players. Mike Nowak/LA Chargers
Brand recognition helps teams get views, but it’s the showcasing of the players’ personalities that makes them go viral.
“I think TikTok, for a lot of teams, changed the game,” Los Angeles Chargers director of social media and content performance Megan Julian said.
The unique platform and loyal usership encourages teams to show an authentic look at players who once felt unavailable and untouchable to the everyday fan.
“Everyone sees them with the helmet and sees their stats and just sees you know what they’re doing in between the lines, but I think [on TikTok] you get to kind of see who the players are as a person and kind of what they like and who they are,” Carolina Panthers’ senior social media manager Angela Denogean said.
The most popular teams pages are the ones that are the most active, have creative videos and primarily focus on showcasing the many personalities of their players (being good on the field helps, but is not essential)
“They [the fans] have a unique sense of humor. And we have to be in tune with that. And I think that’s one thing that me and my team have been able to do since I’ve been here, is really kind of tap into that voice of the fan and communicate with them in a way that they want to be communicated with,” Jacksonville Jaguars director of digital and social media Nick Birdsong said.
The Kansas City Chiefs lead the NFL’s presence on the platform with 3.1 million followers and 57.5 million likes. Their 2023 Super Bowl opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, are second with 2.3 million followers and 59.2 million likes. The Dallas Cowboys have also captured the attention of fans sporting a lofty 2 million followers and 26.4 million likes.
Some teams’ TikTok accounts have the organization’s largest following among all their social platforms. The Buffalo Bills have 1.9 million TikTok followers compared to 1.7 million on X, formerly known as Twitter, and the Detroit Lions’ following doubles its Instagram, with 1.9 million followers compared to 997,000.
Two of the offseason’s most popular videos were the Cincinnati Bengals’ social team getting tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to ask players in the locker room their favorite Taylor Swift song (over 712,000 likes), and the Bills’ video capturing quarterback Josh Allen failing at basketball (809,000 likes and counting).
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As much as the fans love the informal social media content, the players do, too. Most of the social team’s ideas are brainstormed as a group and fleshed out among the people running the accounts, but sometimes they take ideas from the players.
