NFL Draft – Best Captivating Content For Fans

Each year American football fans block out two key events in their calendar, the SuperBowl – a global spectacle of the two teams going head-to-head for one of the most sought-after trophies in world sports – and the NFL Draft – a three-day event where the lowest ranked teams in the league have first dibs on picking the very best up-and-coming talent.

As with all sporting events, the opportunities are endless for teams, leagues, broadcasters and content providers to create an experience for viewers and fans alike. In the weeks building up to the event, speculation of who will be picked first and by whom is rife, as pundits, ex-players and fans around the country and beyond, create and share mock drafts of how they anticipate the draft to end!

Connect with fans and utilise your media platforms

Fans try to consume as much information as possible, sharing rumours, stats on the players in the draft, and any breaking news before, during and after the event. Teams should work with the platforms they have to offer. Create live streams on YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter, and even Twitch and Instagram – create exclusive content and publish it to every single touchpoint at your fingertips. Your fans and followers will consume and share it if it’s relevant to them and their network. You’ll also connect with new fans as those touchpoints expand beyond your usual network.

Live watchalong

Go live during the three-day event and invite fans to chat to each other on the messaging boards and via social to share their mock drafts, then feature that in the show. Stream exclusive content throughout, including ex-players, coaching staff and influencers who have allegiance to the team.

Competitions

Everyone loves a chance to compete for a prize. Run competitions to win signed merchandise and experiences, such as tickets to the next game, or host a virtual Q&A with a recently drafted player. Reward viewers with personal responses for each entrant to say thank you – they’ll share and extend your campaign organically – then you can announce the winners live on your stream.

Shared experiences

Boost your community of fans and ask them to send in pictures, videos, and stories of their draft parties, via social media. Simply choose the best ones and overlay those into your live feeds. This is a proven way to get viewers involved!

Live polls

Gauge fans’ opinion and run multiple polls with realtime results overlayed into your content. Who will be first pick, is Michael DiRocco the number 1 target, will Eric Woodyard go to Detroit Lions– so many questions and possibilities for your fans to get involved, and captivating content for your hosts and guests to discuss on the show.

Boost sponsors and partnerships

Over the past two years, sponsorships and brand partnerships have potentially fallen short of contractual requirements, due to lack of fans in stadiums. Creating captivating and interactive content will bring new opportunities to extend branding into your digital streams and exclusive programming. Place logos into dynamic graphics, or partner with brands for your watchalong, competitions and cross-platform campaigns.

Key to a successful NFL Draft

It’s never been easier to create and publish captivating content that’s bespoke to a particular audience. As with brand marketing, you’ll have a successful campaign if you engage with a target market, it’s the same with your fans, they will consume, engage-with and share your content, if it’s personalised to their interests and includes content they have never seen before.

So there you have it, these simple tried-and-tested steps to creating a community of NFL Draft-loving fans, will not only tighten your relationship with them and enhance loyalty, but boost your content and extend revenue opportunities, with sponsors and partners.

Contact us now to find out how our cloud-based solutions and creative services can create engaging content.