Just as your Snapchat has geofilters like: “GOLD BLING BLING,” “TEAM SPIRIT,” or a record tab of the USA Medal Count in the midst of the 31st Modern Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the NFL will embrace its own set of branding for its 32 franchises this upcoming football season. And while there is an abundance of constructed content that any outlet from Daily Mail to CNN to MTV produces alongside the world-class athletes in Brazil, the NFL will have its own exclusive Snapchat Discover channel to angle its key messaging to fans.
This NFL season is already turning out great even though the players are barely into their training camps, which began just a few days ago. NFL Media, the body designated to spread everything football that the NFL Network, NFL.com, NFL Mobile, NFL Now, NFL Redzone, and NFL Films produces, will be in charge of the content posted to the NFL Snapchat Discover channel according to an AdWeek story.
For the New York Football Giants and the other 31 franchises, this Snapchat and NFL partnership also means custom geofilters. Can Giants fans now go to the games and look just like Michael Strahan who still embraces his tooth gap as a football commentator, as he had on the GMEN field? Or will the GMEN remain their classy selves and design a vintage uniform to cope the corner of your Sunday Night football selfie. Whichever geofilters are selected by the teams and league, an estimated 79,000 fans will have the ability to use the Big Blue custom geofilter while in MetLife stadium.
Before the NFL and Snapchat entered this partnership, teams had created their own Snapchat accounts for fans to add. Snapchat had also hosted several stories that covered major games both during the regular season and the playoffs. A Snapchat Discovery channel and custom geofilters, as silly as it sounds, is a natural extension of a business strategy that has worked out well for the NFL.
What Geofilters and Snapchat Discovery Means for the Giants:
The Internet, cell phone, and iPhone babies are becoming the majority of fans that not only attend and watch games but can also physically still play the sport. An overwhelming percentage of this mixed and undefinable group embraces social innovations. They also sabotage their time playing with their favorite accessory, their phone. A fan base that has 24/7 access to their favorite team has proven that there is a need for the highly connected atmosphere the NFL is trying to create.
This also means that the NFL is finding a way to make sense of the congested social media landscape. The league is making an effort but meeting the effort with practicality and partnerships instead of throwing ideas at a wall and hoping one sticks. In chess terms, it’s a good move.
For many millennials it isn’t always easy to watch four games at the same time on a Sunday (DirecTV commercial, #amiright?). So watching the Snapchat Discover Channel can keep fans up-to-date with what’s happening with their team and other teams around the league. For those who have Snapchat, constantly flicking to the app while your attention is needed elsewhere drives the exhilaration, and at times, anxiety home ---- right to a parent’s wallet for an early “Giants tickets-esque” Christmas present. And for those less likely to win such a wonderful present, they constitute the high livestreaming data the networks, brands, and teams review Monday morning.
Overall, this is a perfect example of how sports are trying to keep their particular game relevant to the next generation. And who are we kidding? Parents love Snapchat/Selfies/Emojis just as much as ‘we kids’ do!
