53 NFL Advertisers Spending in Q4 2023
The NFL remains the dominant U.S. professional sport with rising viewership, especially among 18-34-year-olds, attracting 53 major advertisers in Q4 2023 who invest heavily through sponsorships and partnerships—including emerging sectors like sports betting and wine—and notable campaigns such as Domino’s new digital ordering strategy targeting Gen-Z and millennial men with IPG’s Elephant agency.
Taylor Swift’s influence has really put this small, regional, underfunded football league on advertisers’ radars! Just kidding — the nation’s most popular professional sport reigns supreme, despite television’s overall decline in viewership. In fact, in just five days, the NFL has managed to scare up 25.47 million more viewers than baseball has over the course of its entire season. And league viewers in the 18 to 34 age demo averaged 2.11 million, up 11% from last season.
Our latest list, 53 NFL Advertisers Spending in Q4 2023, details the spending habits of top NFL advertisers, both during the regular season and the calendar year (2022 in this case). Keep in mind, NFL spending depends largely on sponsorship and partnership deals. For example, most stadiums have a naming rights partner, Pepsi sponsored the halftime show for the last decade (Apple Music has since taken over) and other brands are flexing their spending on both national and local levels.
In addition, more brands than ever are affiliating themselves with the NFL and the league is also expanding its sponsors to include emerging categories like sports betting and wine and spirits.
Keep reading for additional executive, spending, and targeting insights for three NFL sponsors spending in Q4 2023.
1) Campaign Imminent: Domino’s taps new agency partner
Domino’s will soon team up with IPG’s Elephant to rethink its digital ordering ecosystem, concluding a review. The agency will focus on modernizing Domino’s ordering process and highlighting its brand personality and innovation. Domino’s online ordering covers 80% of its business, so Elephant will focus on getting the new ordering flow to outperform, inspiring a solidity in research and elevation, and doing so through brand personality. Elephant will work closely with Domino’s official creative and digital AOR, WorkInProgress.
Target demographic: Gen-Z and millennial men
Dominos will likely:
- Shift (and digitize) its strategy
- Continue ramping up digital spend
- Seek additional new agency partners
NFL spending insights:
- 2022 regular season digital: $23 million
- Full-year 2022 digital: $88.2 million
- 2022 regular season TV: $149 million
- Full-year 2022 TV: $357.4 million
- Money spent during “NFL Football” 2022 season: $40.3 million
Agency insights: Since agency reviews often follow one another, reach out soon to secure potential PR, social media management, experiential, programmatic, influencer, and/or multicultural work. Current agency roster:
- Elephant: Digital agency partner (September 2023)
- WorkInProgress: Creative and digital AOR
2) Male Millennial, Gen-Z Opps: Gatorade introduces first water product
Gatorade is launching Gatorade Water early next year. The beverage is electrolyte-infused and is alkaline with a pH of 7.5 or higher. Since 2021, Gatorade has launched Gatorlyte, Gatorade Recovery Gummies, and a caffeinated drink.
Target demographic: Gen-Z and millennial men
Gatorade will likely:
- Ramp up promotional activity
- Seek new agency partners
- Increase ad spend
NFL spending insights:
- 2022 regular season digital: $12.1 million
- Full-year 2022 digital: $59.8 million
- 2022 regular season TV: $13.7 million
- Full-year 2022 TV: $53 million
- Money spent during “NFL Football” 2022 season: $7.1 million
Agency insights: There have not been any agency changes since Gatorade named Anuj Bhasin CBO in May 2023. But keep reaching out to offer your services. Current agency roster:
- TBWA \ Chiat \ Day: Digital AOR
- OMD: Media buying
- MullenLowe U.S. Los Angeles: Creative
- Swift: Social AOR
3) Male Millennial Media Opps: State Farm kicks off football push
State Farm just launched its 2023 NFL campaign. It includes multiple spots featuring Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Tight End Travis Kelce. The spots will be supported across broadcast, OLV, CTV, social, digital, and audio.
Target demographic: Millennial male football fans
State Farm will likely:
- Continue featuring athletes in its creative work
- Increase ad spend throughout H2
- Make additional agency changes
Agency analysis: State Farm appointed a new CMO in January and picked up Highdive in July, which signals the company may make additional agency changes. Current roster:
- Highdive: Creative
- Zeno Group: PR AOR
- DDB Chicago: Creative
- The Marketing Arm: Creative
- OMD: Media buying and planning
- Infinity Marketing Team: Creative
- Optimum Sports: Digital, media buying, and experiential
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