Emphasis on Athletes Brings a Younger Audience in the NFL’s 100th Season
CMO Tim Ellis on how the league is staying relevant at Adweek's Challenger Brands summit
Tim Ellis sat down with Adweek CEO Jeff Litvack at Challenger Brands 2020.
Sean T. Smith for Adweek
Key insights:
- The NFL's challenge was growing young audiences without alienating existing fans.
- The key was turning the spotlight on its players.
Not every brand lasts long enough to celebrate its 100th birthday. Not every brand is the National Football League. And while not a Challenger Brand in the traditional sense—it’s been the most popular sports league in the United States since the early ’70s—it was seeing the same headwinds facing every legacy entertainment product: declining younger audiences and lack of relevancy.
