Spector, TNT Sports, and WBD did not say how much was invested in the Bleacher Report-NFL deal, but it’s already had an effect on Bleacher Report coverage. Within its first three days, highlights distributed on the app received “tens of millions of views,” highlights have been added to Parsons’ show, and yet-unnamed sponsors have signed up for highlights packages later in the season.
Parsons will be hosting a show live from Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, Samuel will be on Radio Row just before the game, and the crew from House of Highlights will meet with players, ask questions, and create content on-site. While yet-unnamed sponsors have signed up for highlights packages, Bleacher Report’s stance is “money will follow” if you find your audience first.
“With this deal coming online, we can say outright and very loudly and proudly that we have full coverage and comprehensive coverage across every major sports league in the United States,” Spector said. “That’s going to be very powerful as we go into work with the advertising community—if you have dollars to spend and you are trying to reach young sports fans, no matter the subject, we have an avenue for you to attach your brand to ours.”
The long game
Parsons kicked off the NFL postseason for Bleacher Report by saying that his Cowboys—who haven’t made the Super Bowl since 1995 and went 7-10 this season—would be Super Bowl champions in 2025.
Somehow, that wasn’t the highlight of his 2024 season on The Edge, as his nearly four and a half hours of NFL Draft coverage with friend and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud drew the attention of fans and media peers alike. As Bleacher Report looks to expand its presence through its NFL partnerships, it’s hoping that combining its hundreds of millions of online followers with NFL-approved brand partners will supercharge the process that made Parsons a media personality in the middle of an active NFL career.
“Our draft show is one that we’ve always prided ourselves on: That you actually get to be with Micah Parsons when they are making the Cowboys pick, and you get to see how he reacts,” Spector said. “C.J. Stroud is another one who we’ve been investing in and has been working with us, so getting closer to the action and hearing directly from the athletes is going to be big for us.”
The NFL’s Lawton noted that Bleacher Report’s presence in college football already provides it tremendous access to football players early in their careers. As those players head into the NFL, Lawton said the platform is uniquely positioned to tell their stories and provide behind-the-scenes interviews, outtakes, and other content.
The NFL sees Bleacher Report as a credible, knowledgeable source with a different point of view than, perhaps, NFL media or broadcast partners. As the NFL audience evolves and NFL fans aren’t necessarily just in the stands or watching on game day, those personality traits matter.
