Taylor Swift Among the 5 Players Powering the NFL Ad Blitz

The NFL has made efforts in recent years to highlight Hispanic players and staff, put Hispanic superstars at the center of Super Bowl campaigns, and make Spanish-language ads part of its mainstream marketing. Its advertisers have received the message.

During Univision’s Super Bowl broadcast this year, nine of its 10 most effective spots were at least partially in Spanish. That included two of the NFL’s ads spotlighting players and its Mundo NFL service, but it also included a Verizon ad featuring J. Balvin and a Michelob ULTRA ad with Lionel Messi that was 306% more effective than the average Univision Super Bowl ad.

“You’re seeing a higher percentage of mixed language spots where there’s some English and some Spanish in the same ad, and I thought it was just really intriguing that you got more Spanish language spots ads in the Univision broadcast of the Super Bowl,” Krim said. “You don’t have to have a pure Spanish language spot, but it does sure help when you’re in an environment like Univision.” 

5. Christmas is a football holiday

For anyone wondering how Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL games will perform—or if advertisers will leap at $800,000 ads or $5 million sponsorship packages—last year’s matchups on Fox, CBS, and ABC provide an indirect answer.

While not exactly Netflix’s streaming platform, EDO noted that the networks’ three Christmas Day games produced results for sponsors that were well beyond what primetime programming or other regular-season games could offer. The evening matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers on ABC was 75% more effective at driving engagement than the primetime average.

Meanwhile, ads from Verizon (458% more effective than the average NFL Christmas Day ad), Bud Light (494%), Capital One (663%), T-Mobile (771%), and Burger King (1,087%) far exceeded expectations. Even prescription multiple sclerosis drug Kesimpta’s spot with former Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler was 476% more effective than the average Christmas or Thanksgiving NFL ads.