Last year, Microsoft teamed up with the NFL. The NFL used their tablets for coaching and game calling purposes. This year, a social media company teams up with America’s most successful sports conglomerate.
Snapchat and the NFL have a one year deal in which Snapchat that will provide NFL video and photo footage to the NFL’s Live Story feature. This feature will go from the beginning of this season through Super Bowl 50, which is scheduled for February 7, 2016. Snapchat will host a NFL Live Story episode every week/end. Both will peddle to advertisers and both will split profits. But there is a catch. Snapchat is forbidden by the NFL to use NFL broadcast footage. This means most of Snapchat’s footage will be coming from fans like you and me. The NFL season and Super Bowl aren’t the only upcoming happenings for Snapchat. Recently, Snapchat has covered live events from fashion week to the Republican presidential debates. And Snapchat isn’t the only social media venue the NFL is making deals with. It has partnerships with Facebook and You Tube. Remember last Super Bowl, when certain commercials aired on You Tube first? The NFL announced a two year partnership with Twitter. This is a trend that is going nowhere fast.
Despite scandals and disputes that seem to follow the NFL everywhere, from Ray Rice to Deflategate, the NFL is still the number one sports franchise in the USA. Many millions follow their favorite team on any given Sunday…and Monday night…and Thursday night. Over a hundred million Americans watch the Super Bowl every year. Snapchat knows it and the numbers prove it. Live Story already draws an audience of 20 million people. Facebook, You Tube and Twitter know the economic power the NFL has. The NFL knows social media is the new way of communication. Sounds like both are doing the smart thing and playing off each other. Is this a good relationship?