1. The NFL’s Female Audience
Matthew Little
Rachel Tom-Quinn
Erin Condiff
Arianna Spang

2. NFL Ownership
• Each team is owned privately
• Very different strategies in different markets
when it comes to attracting female fans
• In terms of managing their female fan base,
the Pittsburg Steelers unquestionably do it
best
• 34% of women in that market identify as fans

3. Superbowl XLVIII
• Broadcast on FOX
– FOX is owned by News Corp
• 46% female viewers
• FOX is known for its conservative values
• “Flies in the face of phony Republican War on
Women”

4. FOX
• The only network that provides easy access to
the results of their female viewership
• FOX is known for its conservative values
• “Flies in the face of phony Republican War on
Women”
• Trying to rebrand
• In 2013, up 10% in females 25-54
• Their most ever

5. NFL Network’s RedZone
and DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket
• All game day CBS and
FOX games
• Subscription based
• No commercials means
less push from
advertisers and more
focus on game alone

7. 23-28% of
women watch
between 6 and
10 hours of
football per
week

8. Despite all of the technology devices
that Americans have they still watch
on their TV’s most
Watch NFL Football Games
70
60
50
40
Watch NFL Football
Games
30
20
10
0
TV
In Person Computer
Smart
Phone
Tablet

9. • In terms of female fans, the
NFL trails only college sports,
according to data from The
ESPN Sports Poll and the U.S.
Census.

10. Together We Make Football
• Together We Make Football Heidi’s Story

11. Female Fans can be seen more on the
TV

12. “Homegating”
• "NFL Party was coming together with licensees
to make it easy for families and people hosting
parties, and certainly women are largely
driving that in the home," O'Reilly said. The
league considers the site a success, he said,
and will increase its content.

13. Political Effects
One may not view a sports team as having any place in politics,
but that which is popular in our culture will have a political
influence regardless of its ultimate intention.
NFL attempts to stay politically correct by engaging in something
called the “Rooney Rule”, stating a team must interview at least
one minority for a head coaching job or general manager
position.
• The above rule only applies to these positions as they are the
“face of the team” and this would look good for the NFL
• Just as racial minorities are being selectively hired, the NFL
has also begun to selectively entice the female gender into
participating in the sports culture as well, as they are seen the
minority in terms of football viewership.

14. Economic Factors
• Who’s making money?
• Any viewers automatically bring in revenue for the broadcasting
channels partnered with the NFL.
• Any attendants to games bring money to the actual league itself.
• Our current culture believes that sports are worth the economic
expenditures.
• What are the principal sources of revenue?
•
•
•
•
ticket sales or gate receipts
local and national broadcasting rights
licensing income
stadium-related revenue including luxury boxes, concessions,
and studio naming rights.

15. Economics Continued
• Media revenues account for more than half of all
revenue gained for the NFL – the actual coverage
of the games produces a higher profit than
attendance, proving our world to be increasingly
virtual.
• In the past, the NFL used to make games unviewable for television audiences if the tickets
were not all sold. Of course, things have changed
now that it has been made clear how much profit
is gained from media streaming.

16. Social Effects
• Sports teams bring a sense of togetherness from
within.
• Sports fans form a bond over the support of teams,
thus allowing both the players and the audience to feel
united.
– Some fans, however, may find the worst of them brought
out when feuding over their specified favorite team or
player.
• Superbowl commercials allow for a sense of
community outside of sports culture, for these
commercials are widely discussed and watched
regardless of one’s interest in the NFL itself.

17. Mass Media’s NFL Portrayal
• Heavily advertised by popular press, seen as
an American staple in today’s age. Popular
press focuses majorly on the social aspect of
the games.
• Some highlights of popular media sources’
focuses on the NFL and its games:
– Fan reactions
– Celebrity perspectives
– The light, cheerful side of popular culture.

18. Formal Views on the NFL
• The formal academic journals are the sources
that focus on political and economical aspects of
the NFL.
• The general public seeks the informal view as a
means to escape from the rudimentary reality of
life, either through participation or observation.
• The formal will always focus on the intricacies
and subtext, whereas the informal skims only the
“pretty” and easily digestible surface and takes
what is shown at face value.

19. Representative Examples of Content
1. Super Bowl 2014
– Halftime Show with Bruno Mars
– Top Three Rated Commercials
•
•
•
Budweiser’s Puppy Love
Dorito’s Cowboy Kid
Budweiser’s Hero’s Welcome
– NFL’s Commercial Together We Make
Football

20. Subtexts & Effects – Halftime
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fun & Entertaining
Not necessarily for “football fans”
100 million viewers
Most are not fans (only watch for Halftime)
Pop culture event
It is socially not acceptable not to watch the
Super Bowl
• It is basically un-American not to watch the
Super Bowl
• The more people that watch the Super Bowl,
the more money the NFL makes

21. Subtexts & Effects – Top Three
• Sympathetic
• Budweiser – Take the emotional route that appeals
to females
• Doritos – Mother’s struggle to get sons to help with
household chores
• America favored the sensitive commercials this year
over the humorous
• Chips and beer were more popular than cars and
other products
• The companies that chose humor over emotional
themes this year were not as popular and lost out on
a huge market for their products

22. Subtexts & Effects – NFL Commercial
• Together We Make Football thanks the fans
• Females portrayed in the ad
• Gives viewers the sense that females are fans
too
• Females can understand football too
• Socially acceptable for girls to play football
• NFL is “giving back” to the people that make
the game possible
• NFL spent its own money to run this ad during
the game

23. Representative Examples of Content
2. A Crucial Catch – Breast Cancer
Awareness Campaign
– Pink Colored Team Gear
– Outfit Stadiums with Logo
– Sells Campaign Apparel

24. Subtexts & Effects
• NFL supports women because it is
campaigning for breast cancer awareness
• NFL is attracting more female fans &
enhancing its image
• A Crucial Catch is used for both social cause
and enterprise
• Political move remain (all of) America’s
favorite pastime
• NFL and corporate partners view females as a
growing desirable consumer demographic

25. Representative Examples of Content
3. Verizon’s “Football Girl” Campaign with
Terry Bradshaw
– Ella sets out to be a football expert so she
can prove to her brothers and Terry that
she has what it takes to go to the Super
Bowl

26. Subtexts & Effects
• Girls can “do” football too
• Females and males on equal “playing fields” a
reality
• You don’t have to be a boy to play and analyze
football games
• NFL has female reporters – no female game
analysts
• Anchor booth on game is still an all boys club
• Females are asking the questions, not giving their
opinions
• Verizon Fios pushed this campaign with a social
media sharing angle – garnering high activity and
results

27. Conclusion

28. Questions
• 1. How many females do you know who are
true NFL fans?
• 2. Is it ethical for the NFL to be targeting
females and non-fans?
• 3. Has the Super Bowl (halftime show,
commercials, etc.) focused too heavily on
entertaining America rather than the game?

29. Questions
• 4. What channels do you watch the NFL on?
FOX? CBS? NBC? ESPN? RedZone? etc
• 5. Why are there still no female game day
anchors sitting in the booth discussing the
game?
• 6. Is the Terry Bradshaw/Ella Verizon Fios
commercial a reality for future generations of
girls who aspire to be “footballers?”

30. Sources
•
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SportsonEarth.com : Ryan Basen Article. SportsonEarth.com. Retrieved from
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/62332742/
•
Busis, H. (2014, February 3). Super Bowl 2014: And the most popular ads were... EW.com.
Retrieved from http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/02/03/super-bowl-most-popular-ads/
•
Carlino, G., & Coulson, N. E. (2004). Compensating advertising. All receptive to the same
products. Differentials and the Social Benefits of the NFL. Journal of Urban Economics, 56(1),
25-50.
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•
•
Duru, N. J. (2007). Fritz Pollard Alliance, the Rooney Rule, and the Quest to Level the Playing
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Gorman, B. (2011, October 14). No Surprise: 64% Of Americans Watch NFL Football; 73% of
Men, 55% of Women. TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved from
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31. Sources Continued
•
Herman, R. (2013, October 11). Robin Herman says make 'Football Girl' a reality in anchor booth.
ESPN. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/9808193/espnw-robinherman-says-make-football-girl-reality-anchor-booth
•
Leeds, M., & Von Allmen, P. (2004). The economics of sports. New York.
•
Lepore, S. (2014, February 4). The complete 2014 Super Bowl Ad Meter results. Super Bowl Ad
Meter: Final Ad Meter Rankings. Retrieved from http://admeter.usatoday.com/story/sports/admeter/super-bowl/2014/02/03/ad-meter-story-final-ad-meter-rankings/5173807/
•
•
•
Robinson, D. (2013, October 17). Fios Football Girl Proves Girls Rock. Fios Football Girl Proves Girls
Rock. Retrieved from http://newscenter.verizon.com/residential/news-articles/2013/10-17-verizonfios-football-girl-proves-girls-rock/
YEAR IN SPORTS MEDIA REPORTS: 2013. (2014, February 4). Year in Sports Media Report: 2013.
Retrieved from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/reports/2014/year-in-the-sports-media-report2013.html

32. Sources Continued
•
•
•
•
•
Associated Press. (July 26, 2012). Pittsburgh leads nation in female NFL fans. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8024a78d/article/pittsburgh-leads-nation-infemale-nfl-fans
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/giants/
http://www.cjr.org/resources/
Sports Business Daily. (February 1, 2012). Gap Between Number of Male, Female Super Bowl
Viewers is Shrinking. Retrieved from
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2012/02/01/Research-and-Ratings/SBdemos.aspx
http://woldcnews.com/934652/nfl-chicks-takeover-women-love-football-too/