Mobile apps, podcasts, and social media influencers are the new media—and they’ve all become the leading avenues for NFL fans looking for information, stats, and updates on their team or the league. With hundreds of millions of fans in America and abroad, the NFL is in a comfortable position as one of the most visible and recognizable sports organizations on the planet.
Some sports analysts and broadcasters besmirch some American sports, accusing them of becoming too domesticated and Americanized and therefore unable to connect with audiences in other countries. However, the NFL certainly doesn’t fall into this category, with several games taking place across the pond over the last decade and a half, and Canada has also hosted many season games. The broader international appeal is a key consideration designers have when they’re looking to construct apps for NFL fans – and as you’ll see today, there are NFL apps for so many different types of fans.
Gaming Apps – Madden & Sports Betting
Part of the appeal of the NFL is the drama, skill, and strategy involved. The small nuances in each game and the tiny elements of coaching and training can often be the only difference between the elite teams. Many fans like to dissect data and enjoy observing the wider dynamics at play – and gaming apps can add an extra layer of insight and appeal, too – whether they are sports betting apps or general gaming apps.
DraftKings sportsbook has quickly cemented itself as one of the leaders in this new age of regulated, digital sports betting across the US. Often using advertising techniques like welcome bonuses and promotions to broadcast their appeal to football bettors, and with hundreds of thousands of ratings across the iOS and Android stores, many NFL fans deem it a necessary addition that helps to add something a little bit more to their viewing.
The free-to-download NFL Madden mobile game has over 200,000 downloads and is a massive hit for NFL fans. Given that a new Madden game is released every year, it proves to be a key date on the calendar, as it helps to pass the time for many NFL fans and can be a tremendous educational tool to keep up to date with the players on each team.
Expanding Your Knowledge Via NFL Apps
You can’t go wrong with the official NFL app, as it is not only subsidized by the main governing body behind the NFL but also free to use and encyclopedia like with its football knowledge. Although the bulk of the information on the app pertains to current players, you can also find a host of information relating to classic players and iconic games of yesteryear.
Keeping notifications on for the NFL app will ensure you don’t miss out on any breaking news, and you can also watch selected games via the app for free. While the entire app itself isn’t free, and you will have to pay for some of the big games, the amount of content you get for free makes it a more than worthy addition to your mobile device.
Another app we’d recommend is the ESPN app, which is entirely free to use. Although it doesn’t allow you to watch any of the NFL games, you’ll be able to access the same highlights and data that make their main site one of the most visited sports websites in the US and explore their deep-dive library of information, ranging from industry predictions to upcoming draft rumors.
Fantasy Football Apps
Social media sites are awash with fantasy football fanatics. While there are millions of fantasy football fans who partake in a range of fantasy sports – football remains the dominant fantasy league. Although the initial idea took a while to get off the ground – the internet added a new dimension to it entirely. As the most downloaded NFL-based mobile app on iOS, it is the official fantasy football app verified by the league and has tens of thousands of users outside of the US, too.
While guaranteed points-scorers like Tom Brady may have left the league, retiring in glory and having monumentally successful careers in the process, there’s so much to weigh up amongst the current sea of talent, including looking for those players that might be worth a gamble or could prove to be a bargain at the end of the campaign.
Information compiled by Statista shows that there are just under 30 million fantasy football players in the US – and with the official NFL fantasy football app the premier way to play, offering fascinating insights and breakdowns for free – we’d say this is definitely something you should check out – regardless of whether you have an Android or iOS device as it’s compatible with both.
Final Thoughts
Except for the paywall for the big games on the official NFL app, all the apps we’ve touched on are free to use. If there’s one thing the NFL has done well, it’s embraced new media and found ways to utilize it and work with it rather than against it. Keeping apps free to use and widely accessible acts as great organic advertising for the NFL – especially the fantasy football app and the official app which help to maintain a lot of interest amongst casual fans domestically and internationally.
Ultimately, this cost-effectiveness has led to several of the top-rated sports apps in the US all being football-based. Having the NFL organization’s commercial and financial mega power behind them is key to this success. Still, there is also a huge role that designers and commercial teams within the NFL have played to ensure they’re keeping up to date with the latest technological trends.
By keeping these apps free and accessible for football fans in the US and abroad, American football can maintain pole position as the most popular sport in the US. The slickness and cost-effective components of all the apps we have discussed today help endear the sport to new generations of users who have grown up in the digital age.
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