The end of football season is nearly here! Last year, a record 202.4 million viewers tuned in to the season finale—making it the most-watched telecast in history. That also makes it a prime opportunity for brands to connect with viewers.

Running a prime-time commercial during the big game is expensive, with a 30-second spot costing roughly $7 million. While large brands often dominate the commercial breaks with their iconic ads, smaller companies can also take advantage of the big game.

Small and mid-sized businesses can still make their presence known during the weeks leading up to football season’s final game. From social media to direct mail and everything in between, here’s our 2025 football season marketing guide. 

What businesses benefit most from football marketing?

In 2024, consumers spent $17.3 billion in purchases related to the final game of football season, an average of $86.04 per person. In the weeks leading up to the big game, consumer spending typically increases in the following categories.

Electronics Stores 

As many viewers prepare to host football viewing parties, they may consider upgrading their TVs to newer or larger models. And since the majority (54%) of Americans no longer use cable or satellite, many consumers may need to find a way to stream the game.

From Smart TVs to devices like Firestick, Chromecast, and Roku, consumers may look to purchase devices that make their streams possible.

Clothing Stores and Sports Retailers

As the big game approaches, many football fans may look to purchase game-related merchandise. From “Super Bowl LIX” merch to apparel for their favorite team, clothing stores and other retailers that sell football merchandise may benefit.

Grocery Stores, Beer Distributors, and Liquor Stores

Around 40% of Americans usually attend or host a party to celebrate the end of football season. In 2024, 112.2 million people planned to throw or attend a party. That means many consumers will be in the market for food and beverages!

Grocery stores are likely to see an influx of people purchasing their favorite game-day snacks, frozen foods, and the ingredients for popular dishes. Likewise, beer distributors and liquor stores will see people coming in for refreshments.

Party Retailers

Many party hosts will turn to party retailers to purchase decorations for their event. And, they may also purchase things that make their post-game clean-up a little easier, including plastic tablecloths, disposable plates, SOLO^® cups, and plastic cutlery. 

Bars and Restaurants

In 2024, 16.2 million Americans planned to watch the game at a bar or restaurant. Additionally, many consumers may plan to get catered food—like chicken wings, sliders, pizza, and more—for their events. 

Social Media Advertising During the Game

The hype surrounding the end of football season extends beyond the televised event; Americans will inevitably spend time on their phones. Between posting about their game-day plans, scrolling during commercial breaks, and more, Americans will be active on social media.

According to the Association of National Advertisers, “While traditional sports fans remain passionate, the way new generations engage with their favorite teams and athletes has evolved significantly, forcing brands to rethink their approach to reaching and nurturing these audiences.” 

In particular, traditional ads do not impress Gen Z. Forbes recommends using tactics like QR codes and social media hashtags to engage viewers on multiple screens, including their cell phones. Strategies including humor, memes, trends, pop culture references, user-generated content, and influencer collaborations may also improve campaign effectiveness, especially with younger audiences.

Additionally, social media platforms make it possible to deliver messages to extremely targeted demographics, likely improving campaign ROI.

Tip: Make Your Campaigns Omnichannel

Omnichannel campaigns may include channels like social media, CTV, direct mail, email, and more. By reaching the same audience across channels with a cohesive campaign, you can increase marketing touchpoints. This makes it more likely that a customer will convert.

Understanding Football Game Viewers

Reaching the right audience with your football season marketing campaigns is crucial. Tailoring your marketing campaigns to each demographic’s unique needs and preferences will ensure that your messaging resonates with consumers. 

Below are some of the football-related audiences that are available in the Deep Sync One Marketplace:

Consumers Interested in Football

Research shows that sports fans are less resistant to advertising than other consumers, likely due to their emotional connection with their favorite team. In fact, 42% of fans are more likely to state that advertising influences their buying decisions than the general public.

Perhaps the most straightforward way to reach football fans is to use a target audience of demonstrated football fans! Deep Sync One’s audience of football fans can be found in the Marketplace as “Interest > Sports Football > High.” 

This audience is a great choice for football season marketing campaigns! It can be activated for campaigns across Meta, TikTok, The Trade Desk, and Google DV360.

Likely Football Fans (Male)

It’s likely unsurprising that the majority of football fans are male. Of the 58% of Americans that engage with football on a weekly basis, 73% are men aged 50+.

Males that are likely to watch American football games and participate in related events present a lucrative segment for advertisers. Our audience is established from individual- and household-level demographics and interests that make these consumers likely to be football fans.

This audience can be found in the Deep Sync One Marketplace as “Likely Football Fans (Male)” and is available for social media campaigns on Meta and TikTok.

Likely Football Fans (Female)

Football is becoming increasingly popular among women; the largest gain in “Super Bowl” viewership in 2024 came from women, with a 24% increase in female viewers 18-24 and 6% among women 25-54.

This increase makes it more important than ever to reach females who are likely to watch American football games and participate in related events. Our audience is established from individual- and household-level demographics and interests that make these consumers likely to be football fans.

This audience can be found in the Deep Sync One Marketplace as “Likely Football Fans (Female)” and is available for social media campaigns on Meta and TikTok.

Likely New Football Fans

Football is growing in popularity among young adults, especially young women. “Super Bowl LVII” was watched by 9% more women than the previous year—the largest turnout of female viewers in NFL history. There was also an increase in young viewers compared to 2023: 6% in the 12-17 age bracket and 10% in the 18-34 age bracket.

Considering the overlap in the demographics of Taylor Swift fans—both in age and gender—many news outlets are crediting part of the changing demographics of football fans to “The Taylor Swift Effect.” That’s some serious star power, and really underscores the impact of celebrity endorsements!

To reach young adults who are likely to have a new interest in football, use the “Likely New Football Fans” audience available in the Deep Sync One Marketplace. This audience is established from individual- and household-level demographics and interests that make these consumers likely to be new football fans, and it is available for social media campaigns on Meta and TikTok.

Likely “Superbowl” Party Hosts

Around 40% of Americans usually attend or host a party to celebrate the end of football season, and many of these adults have families! 

Are you looking to reach families that are likely to host parties to celebrate the end of football season? If so, this audience can get your social media campaigns in front of the right consumers! 

This audience is established from individual- and household-level demographics and interests that make these consumers likely to host football viewing parties. It can be found in the Deep Sync One Marketplace as “Likely Superbowl Party Hosts” and is available for social media campaigns on Meta and TikTok.

Does Your Brand Have a Football Season Marketing Strategy?

If your brand doesn’t already have a marketing strategy, it’s time to make a game plan!

Football-related audiences make great segments for a variety of different businesses, and you don’t need a traditional TV ad to stand out. With thoughtful audience selection and creative campaigns, your brand can make the most of football season.

Deep Sync One makes finding football audiences easy. Simply make a free account and browse the Marketplace to find the perfect audience for your brand.