Why the NFL is Leaning So Hard on Creators - with Ian Trombetta

In this week's episode of Next in Media, I sat down with Ian Trombetta, SVP of Social Influencer and Content Marketing for the NFL. We dove deep into how the league is winning the creator economy by building long-term partnerships with rising stars like Kai Cenat, Sketch, and Mr. Beast. Ian shared how his team identifies talent before they blow up, creating authentic relationships that benefit both the creators and the NFL's global reach. What struck me most was how the NFL isn't just throwing money at big names - they're investing in momentum and cultural relevance, finding creators who genuinely connect with the next generation of fans.

Ian also walked me through the challenges of scaling this strategy globally, the lessons learned from his time at Red Bull and Activision, and what it takes to work with YouTube on their first-ever NFL broadcast. We discussed the NFL's massive Super Bowl creator activation - with over 150 creators on the ground in San Francisco - and how they're using everything from cooking competitions to fashion shows to showcase the culture around the game. Ian's philosophy is clear: let creators be themselves, provide them with massive value and exposure, and the authentic engagement will follow. It's a masterclass in modern brand building.

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Key Highlights:

🎯 Finding Creators Early: The NFL identifies rising talent before they explode - working with Kai Cenat for 5-6 years before he became a household name. Ian's team stays ahead of dashboards and media coverage by staying deeply connected to culture and momentum.

🤝 Long-Term Relationships Over One-Offs: The NFL's strategy focuses on building sustained partnerships with creators, offering them massive exposure through linear TV, streaming platforms, and owned channels in exchange for authentic engagement with their communities.

🌍 Global Creator Strategy: With international growth as a major priority, the NFL works with global creators like Mr. Beast and IShowSpeed, plus local creators in markets like Brazil and Dublin to introduce football to new audiences worldwide.

🏆 Super Bowl Creator Takeover: Over 150 creators will be on the ground in San Francisco for Super Bowl week, participating in cooking competitions (NFL Season), fashion shows, and cross-promotions with NBC and the Olympics - the biggest creator activation yet.

🎮 Gaming Lessons from Activision: Ian emphasized that brands underestimate the quality bar required for gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite - you need dedicated studios creating sustained content, not just one-time pop-ups.

📺 Let Creators Be Themselves: The NFL's philosophy is to never force creators into a box. Great content comes from letting them engage their audiences authentically while naturally weaving in the NFL, not force-feeding promotional content.

🚀 YouTube's First NFL Broadcast: Ian shared insights from working with YouTube on their inaugural NFL game broadcast, highlighting the collaboration between traditional sports media and digital platforms.

🤖 Navigating the AI Challenge: Ian acknowledged that AI's impact on content creation is evolving daily, and staying ahead of how platforms and creators use AI is one of the biggest ongoing challenges for the league.

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Resources & Next Steps:

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YouTube Chapter Timestamps:

00:00 Cold open - Creator opportunities and AI evolution

00:38 Episode intro and playoff season context

01:02 Meet Ian Trombetta - SVP of Social Influencer and Marketing at NFL

01:36 Ian's role - Social media, influencer marketing, and content creation

02:52 Why the NFL needs creators beyond traditional TV

04:20 Creators as entry points for casual and younger fans

05:15 Global creator strategy - No borders with Mr. Beast and IShowSpeed

06:30 How to find the right creators for your brand

07:45 Building long-term relationships with rising creators

08:40 The Kai Cenat story - 5-6 years of partnership

10:12 The secret sauce - Getting in early and offering value

11:30 Letting creators be themselves for authentic engagement

13:05 Understanding creator momentum and culture

14:20 The Sketch example - Catching viral moments early

16:40 Live streamers and the endurance of daily content creation

18:25 Brand partnerships and measuring ROI from organic reach

20:10 Red Bull background - Building communities and content

22:30 Activision lessons - Community is everything in gaming

24:29 Parallels between gaming communities and NFL fandom

25:23 The gaming challenge - Quality bar and sustained presence

26:23 Roblox and Fortnite - You need a full studio operation

27:14 Flag football, mobile games, and the Olympics opportunity

27:26 Super Bowl preview - 150+ creators on the ground

28:12 NFL Season cooking competition and fashion shows

28:53 Cross-promotion with NBC and the Olympics

29:13 Showcasing culture and music around the NFL

29:27 Working with YouTube on their first NFL broadcast

29:59 Biggest challenge - Navigating AI in content and platforms