The National Football League (NFL) announced on Aug. 3 that it will extend its strategic partnership with Snapchat, bolstering the cooperation between the world's most watched sports league and the social media company.
The statement comes after Snapchat and NFL teamed up successfully in 2015, when more than 70 million people worldwide enjoyed Snapchat's Live Stories about the games and events of NFL.
One new aspect of the prolonged partnership is that NFL now becomes the first professional sports league to appear in the "Discover" platform. Thanks to content scheduled by NFL Media, sports fans from around the world who happen to use Snapchat will have access to the newest headlines and hottest trends, as well as neatly timed videos.
Only a small number of ventures secured a Discover presence, and most of them are mainstream media outlets and brands. Discover, which was recently revamped, will put NFL ahead of other leagues, such as the NHL and the NBA, which toiled to create their separate channels.
Also, every NFL game of the season will get its own Live Story on Snapchat. This includes the king of sporting events, the Super Bowl, which will let millions of fans peruse special NFL-centric photos and video via Snapchat.
NFL Draft and NFL Scouting will not be left behind, as they too will get their own Live Stories. By presenting the competition from the diverse perspectives of the League and its teams, as well as through the fans' eyes, Live Stories has the potential to give viewers the ultimate experience.
As advertising is the soul of ... well, apparently everything these days, Snapchat and NFL plan to let brands promote in the Discover Live Stories.
Every one of the 32 clubs that are part of NFL will get Geofilters, courtesy of Snapchat.
This means that if you are a Snapchat user at one of the NFL stadiums, practice facilities and other select venues, you will be offered location-based and team-specific art overlays, so that your Snaps show just how much you love sports.
NFL content surged in popularity all over the media landscape.
During the NFL regular season in 2015, 199 million people watched the sporting events, making for 78 percent of all television homes.
Blake Stuchin, head of Digital Media Business Development for the NFL, notes that his organization is excited to maintain and "expand the partnership with Snapchat."
He goes on to add that offering content to a highly interactive platform where millions of fans are engaged every day is very compelling for the NFL.
