The news: Marketers looking to reach sports fans don’t need to wait for marquee events like the Super Bowl. High consumer interest in NFL digital content means fans, especially younger ones, are engaging with the league year-round.

• Over half (56%) of sports fans ages 14 to 24 engage with sports commentary and analysis from creators or fans at least weekly, per a SmithGeiger survey commissioned by Google.
• Over 30% of NFL-related content views in 2025 happened between the end of the Super Bowl and the start of the regular football season.

This pattern isn’t limited to football. Across sports, 38% of US adults often watch online highlights, clips, and interviews, and 19% listen to sports radio or podcasts, per S&P Global.

What it means: Sports fandoms live across platforms and seasons, creating constant opportunities for brands to reach engaged audiences well outside of traditional broadcast windows.

Younger audiences in particular are less tethered to live game days and more invested in ongoing narratives like debates and player breakdowns that exist continuously across social and creator platforms.

Why it matters: Fan interest is high, even during offseasons when traditional TV offerings drop off, which means sports marketing should be an always-on strategy.

Frequent engagement with fans and creators among Gen Zers suggests that sports content is becoming more social, rather than something to be passively watched.

Recommendations for brands: Consistently running sports marketing strategies can be as important as single placements and social posts on big game days. Concentrating spend around major live events risks missing sustained engagement.

• Explore creator partnerships with sports commentators to reach more Gen Z fans authentically.
• Explore short-form and audio formats to reach fans that follow sports but don’t regularly watch live games.

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