Nfl Digital Media Strategy Case
NFL Digital Media Strategy Case
3/6/2013
The Sky is the Limit…If You Don’t Limit Partnerships
The NFL is an American treasure. During the season, people of all races, political affiliations, and backgrounds come together to watch football. People have an unbelievable amount of pride in their favorite teams and everyone seems to have an opinion about the latest game or who the best players are. The NFL is for all Americans to enjoy and therefore, I think the best mobile strategy is to form non-exclusive partnerships with multiple wireless carriers.
The strategy I would move forward with would be to partner with several wireless carriers, each with their own deals so Verizon, AT&T, etc. would all pay to be a partner. I would create mobile applications that fans can download on any network that are available for a fee. These apps would not be free just because a person has Verizon or AT&T as might be the case if there was an exclusive partnership with a wireless provider. All companies that have paid for a contract would be able to advertise during the games, on the websites, etc. Essentially, the interactive offerings from the NFL would be available to any fan with a mobile phone.
The main reason I believe this is the best strategy is because the NFL needs to be inclusive as much as possible to its fans. It has a cult-like following and partnering with only one wireless provider would exclude many of the die-hard fans that love the sport. The case it states that an exclusive deal would severely limit the number of fans reached since the biggest carrier could only deliver 20-25% of the total audience. But the NFL needs to engage as many fans as possible which will create more buzz around the season, the teams and the NFL as a whole. In turn, this will boost ticket sales and sales of promotional items, mobile apps, etc. As Kevin Coupe says on his business news website, “The public doesn't care what network a show is on. Doesn't care if it is produced by
3/6/2013
The Sky is the Limit…If You Don’t Limit Partnerships
The NFL is an American treasure. During the season, people of all races, political affiliations, and backgrounds come together to watch football. People have an unbelievable amount of pride in their favorite teams and everyone seems to have an opinion about the latest game or who the best players are. The NFL is for all Americans to enjoy and therefore, I think the best mobile strategy is to form non-exclusive partnerships with multiple wireless carriers.
The strategy I would move forward with would be to partner with several wireless carriers, each with their own deals so Verizon, AT&T, etc. would all pay to be a partner. I would create mobile applications that fans can download on any network that are available for a fee. These apps would not be free just because a person has Verizon or AT&T as might be the case if there was an exclusive partnership with a wireless provider. All companies that have paid for a contract would be able to advertise during the games, on the websites, etc. Essentially, the interactive offerings from the NFL would be available to any fan with a mobile phone.
The main reason I believe this is the best strategy is because the NFL needs to be inclusive as much as possible to its fans. It has a cult-like following and partnering with only one wireless provider would exclude many of the die-hard fans that love the sport. The case it states that an exclusive deal would severely limit the number of fans reached since the biggest carrier could only deliver 20-25% of the total audience. But the NFL needs to engage as many fans as possible which will create more buzz around the season, the teams and the NFL as a whole. In turn, this will boost ticket sales and sales of promotional items, mobile apps, etc. As Kevin Coupe says on his business news website, “The public doesn't care what network a show is on. Doesn't care if it is produced by
Cited: Alpert, Jed, and Stephen Fishbach. The Mobile Marketing Revolution: How Your Brand Can Have a One-to-one Conversation with Everyone. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print. Coupe, K. (March 5, 2013). Tuesday Morning Eye-Opener: Email From The Present. In MorningNewsBeat.com. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://morningnewsbeat.com/News/News_Article_Detail_S.las?A=41288&Date=2013- 03-05. Gorman, B. (October 14, 2011). No Surprise: 64% of Americans Watch NFL Football; 73% of Men, 55% of Women. In TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 1, 2013, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/10/14/no-surprise-64-americans-watch-nfl- football-73-of-men-55-of-women/107308/.