It’s our 2 hundredth episode, and we’re going huge. The Pace of Tradition hits a serious milestone with none aside from Tim Ellis, chief advertising and marketing officer of the NFL. In an period the place fandom is fractured and a spotlight spans are fleeting, the NFL has managed to remain not simply related—however revered.
From opening new international markets to partnering with creators and bringing gamers’ personalities to the forefront, Tim is redefining what it means to market the largest sport in America.
Since becoming a member of the NFL in 2018, Tim has led a transformative period of promoting for the NFL, championing inclusivity, youth engagement, international development, and participant storytelling. Previous to the NFL, Tim held govt roles at Activision, Volkswagen, and Volvo, the place he drove breakthrough campaigns.
He has acquired quite a few accolades, together with ADWEEK and Advert Age’s high CMO, and Cannes Lion World Marketer of the 12 months. A former actor and inventive visionary, Tim’s unconventional path powers his distinctive method to model management and advertising and marketing.
Hearken to Tim Ellis on The Pace of Tradition to find how the NFL is utilizing objective, personalization, and partnerships to remain on the coronary heart of world tradition, and forward of the sport.
Key takeaways:
[01:56] The NFL’s Position in American Tradition — Tim explains how the NFL each displays and drives tradition, reaching over two-thirds of Individuals. However with that affect comes accountability. His technique balances escapism and impression—constructing campaigns that commemorate the enjoyment of soccer whereas uniting communities round shared values. For manufacturers, this exhibits how leaning into objective can strengthen relevance and deepen emotional connection.
[04:40] “Helmets Off” and Humanizing the League — Tim’s “helmets off” technique pulls again the curtain on gamers’ lives to spotlight their passions and personalities. From trend collabs to basis spotlights, the aim is to make gamers extra relatable and followers extra invested. Manufacturers can study from this by amplifying the individuals behind the product, not simply the product itself.
[07:34] Gen Z Entry and the Creator Flywheel — By deploying stay content material creators (LCCs) and collaborating with platforms like Adobe and YouTube TV, the NFL is providing unprecedented fan entry and storytelling. These creator-led experiences have supercharged content material attain and model affinity, particularly with youthful audiences. For entrepreneurs, it is a case research in co-creation as a distribution engine.
[10:26] Displaced Fandom and Personalization at Scale — With as much as 65% of followers now “displaced” from their hometown groups, the NFL is personalizing engagement throughout platforms like Sunday Ticket and NFL+. Understanding particular person fan conduct—like favourite gamers or content material sorts—is essential. This highlights the significance of proactive, data-driven personalization for any model navigating fragmented loyalty.
[16:48] The NFL’s World Sport Plan — The NFL is aggressively increasing into markets like Brazil, Germany, and Spain, utilizing flag soccer and heritage packages to drive participation and fandom. The perception? If somebody performs the sport—even casually—they’re 4 instances extra more likely to grow to be a fan. Manufacturers scaling globally ought to localize by cultural relevance, accessibility, and emotion, not simply media buys.
