NFL Drafts More Creators to Hype the Super Bowl
League's SVP of marketing gives Muse the play-by-play
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Creators and influencers are increasingly core players in the NFL’s marketing strategy, which includes ramping up the league’s presence on YouTube. To that end, the NFL teamed up with creator agency Whalar this season to support content creation via its “Creator of the Week” and “Access Pass” offerings.
Personalities including Funky Marco (pictured above), Adam W and Evelyn Gonzalez nabbed all-access passes to regular-season games through “Creator of the Week.” They were also allowed to film at practice and training facilities as well as other behind-the-scenes areas—a benefit that’s new to the program launched in 2023.
Those enrolled in “Access Pass,” which originated the same year, were given game footage to incorporate into posts, plus invitations to cover events including the NFL Draft, the NFL Combine and, of course, the Super Bowl.
Next season, former NFL players-turned-creators will be able to promote themselves and their business endeavors through the just-announced “Access Pass for Legends.”
Here, Ian Trombetta, the NFL’s SVP of social, influencer/creator and content marketing, discusses why the league works so closely with creators and previews the role they’ll play in promoting Super Bowl 59:
THE GOAL: RECRUITING YOUNGER FANS
When Trombetta started working for the NFL at 2019, it was abundantly clear that the league needed to make more of an effort with Gen Z. “The data was showing that we were starting to get older. We weren’t attracting youth audiences as effectively as we probably could and should,” he says. So, a new team was created within the NFL marketing department “that was essentially tasked with creating direct relationships with influencers, celebrities and creators who were reaching that younger demo on the platforms that they were using every day.”
WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL NFL INFLUENCER?
Of course, current and former athletes and diehard sports fans are must-have talents on the creator roster. But Trombetta and his team also “work with creators who may not be the most avid sports enthusiasts.” That’s because the NFL is also interested in drawing casual fans to the game, too. The league’s research has shown that these fans live for music, fashion, fitness, wellness and gaming. So, it’s beneficial to enlist creators who can highlight aspects of NFL culture beyond the field.
YOU GO, GIRL!
One of the NFL’s most engaging creators (at least in our opinion) is Jenna Bandy, a former college basketball player who stands out for using her own athletic prowess to celebrate the league. (FYI: Bandy holds the Guinness World Record for farthest American football throw into a target by a female.) “Last year, with the Pro Bowl, she actually competed in the skills challenges, and she did quite well,” Trombetta says. “That ended up being some of our top performing content, and what a great way for us to showcase the Pro Bowl in a different light.”
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CO-CREATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME
The NFL’s marketing team is all about giving creators “the freedom to do what they do best,” Trombetta stresses. “It’s not, ‘Here’s a 30-second script. Read this.’ It’s, ‘What would you do with this idea? What would you do with this product? How would you think about Sunday Ticket on YouTube? How would you think about fantasy football in different ways and bring that to life in a way that’s specific to your audience?'”
KICKING INTO HIGH GEAR FOR THE SUPER BOWL
The NFL’s squad of creators is already descending upon Orlando for the Pro Bowl, which will be played on Feb. 2. “We’ll have ‘Creator Row’ at the Pro Bowl,” Trombetta teases. “We’re still finalizing things, but essentially we’ll create mini-sets for the creators and the players to work together to create fun, engaging content and to drive awareness for the game but also awareness around each of the players.”
The day after the Pro Bowl, the creators will head to New Orleans to hype the Super Bowl showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs, reigning NFL chiefs, and the Philadelphia Eagles. “We’ll have more creators than ever this year,” Trombetta says.
They will attend a number of pre-Super Bowl events, including the NFL Honors. On the day of the Super Bowl, the league is hosting a tailgate with YouTube at which creators will be creating their own live show in advance of Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance, Trombetta reveals.
While the NFL benefits from the enthusiastic outpouring of content, “I know that creators get a lot of value out of it, too,” Trombetta says. “What a great canvas for the creator. You’re in New Orleans, you’re at the Super Bowl, there’s all kinds of activities. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
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(Which brand will take home the 2025 Super Clio for the Big Game’s best ad? We’ll find out on Feb. 10.)