NFL expands digital rights for team-run social media accounts

Fans might notice a few changes to how NFL teams operate their social media pages this upcoming season.

According to a report by Ben Fischer in Sports Business Journal, the NFL has approved a number of changes to how teams can utilize there various social media channels. Per Fischer, “Team social media accounts will now be treated as an extension of the team’s owned-and-operated websites, which means fewer restrictions for sponsored social content.” To go along with this, teams will now be able to produce digital programming during games “to encourage a second-screen experience,” which teams will be able to sell sponsors for.

Perhaps the most noticeable change, however, will allow teams to post game highlights on two additional social media platforms going forward: TikTok and Threads.

“I don’t know that there’s a bunch of home runs in [these changes], but the hope would be that there’s a number of singles and doubles throughout that just make sense and are ways in which we’re opening up more value creation opportunity across the 32 [teams],” NFL media executive Hans Schroeder told Sports Business Journal.

Another notable provision in the new arrangements will allow teams to produce and sell “original content” to streamers, so long as it is not content that would compete with something NFL Films or Skydance Sports is already producing. However, Hard Knocks-style documentary series, which many teams already produce, will still be limited to team websites and YouTube pages.

The goal, as with anything the NFL does, is to create incremental value for its teams. While these moves are but a drop in the ocean of the league’s broadcast deals, they still matter for owners who are counting every last bean.