Year on year, more and more people tune in to the NFL season, especially the Super Bowl, as its appeal continues to grow globally.
It's not just in the United States that people are eagerly checking in on the NFL week 1 odds as the season rapidly approaches.
The Kansas City Chiefs third Super Bowl victory back in February seems a long time ago now with so much happening in the off-season.
The 2023 NFL Draft was a huge highlight for many as we were glued into finding out who were the biggest new prospects in the game and where they would be playing in the new season.
As well as new players, the moves and contract negotiations of the biggest stars attract attention from every continent. Globally, fans have been following the Aaron Rodgers saga which ended with him joining the New York Jets, Ezekiel Elliott being released by the Dallas Cowboys, and even what the Baltimore Ravens would have done if they hadn’t gotten Lamar Jackson to commit.
With this global success, the NFL has become the most successful American sports league in history. While the NBA and the MLB will be part of a conversation in the top three sports in the United States, there is a clear winner.
The NFL has created a global brand, with international matches reaching out further to fans around the world.
As of August 2022, the Dallas Cowboys were the most valuable team at $8 billion. This emphasizes the wealth and value of the league and its teams.
What the NFL has done so well in, is retaining its value on the field to supporters while also driving up the value and revenue of the league and for the member clubs as well.
TV Deals
This has been the most lucrative revenue stream for all involved in the NFL. In March 2021, the league signed an increased media rights agreement worth an eye watering $111.8 billion.
All television revenue is evenly distributed across the league, which ensures that each team has an equal chance of using that revenue to build a competitive team.
This is great for fans around the league knowing that with good ownership and management their team can work towards being a competitive team in the league. It also ensures to owners and potential investors that there is a massive boost each year to their income, which ensures the healthy progress and future of their teams.
Sponsorship and Advertising
With so many eyes from all across the country and out around the world, businesses are keen to affiliate and advertise with the NFL and its member clubs.
For the league themselves, back in 2018/19 Microsoft extended their sponsorship of the league with a $80 million per year deal, which along with many other big contracts ensures the smooth running and operation of the league.
Teams themselves can seek out potential partners and offer sponsorship opportunities and advertising directly. Naming rights for the stadium, advertising their brand pitch side or in their social media feeds, there are so many ways each team can earn further revenue through sponsorship and advertising.
Ticket Revenue
We all know about the waiting list for a season ticket with the Green Bay Packers. Stadiums around the league as well continue to upgrade and many teams have moved sites to new stadiums with incredible amenities and experiences.
These are all possible with the help of ticket revenue as well. Fans want to get involved in the experience and home teams retain 60% of all ticket sales profits. Back in 2019, it was estimated that the NFL generates around $3.3 billion in ticket revenue per year.
Spectators can enjoy a range of different experiences and seating options, which come at a wide range of prices. Rival matches, playoff games and the Super Bowl itself can fill stadiums and bring in huge revenue with some luxury box seating even costing well over $100,000 a year for supporters.
Merchandise
Like ticket revenue and television deals, this money is split across the teams in the league, with the exception of the Dallas Cowboys. The league's most valuable teams retain their independence and are not part of the general NFL sharing pool.
These sales of jerseys and other club related merchandise is a multi-billion dollar a year industry for the NFLs teams with products selling on each continent, not just in the United States.
You can go to an international game in the United Kingdom or Germany this season and see the stands full of supporters in teams' jerseys and other merchandise which also sells well on game day too.
All in all, the NFL is using these wide-ranging revenue streams to increase its value without decreasing the product on the field. This has been key to their continued success which shows no signs of slowing down.