Chiefs' Game-Day Deals Go Next Level

👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

Is it possible to turn reputation into revenue?

Teams like the Boston Celtics, Arsenal FC, and UCF Football have built massive reputations for elite content — but that creative credibility is still untapped by brands.

Case in point: this week I came across a few sports social edits you need to see:

• Celtics: Pregame Hype Reel

• Arsenal: Flow State

• UCF Football: Running Through Time

What do they all have in common? They’re produced by teams known for leading the industry in attention-grabbing content. And they’re all unsponsored.

But they should be — especially by brands like Adobe or Meta.

Adobe, Meta’s new Edits app, and CapCut are in an arms race for creator-friendly video dominance. Each keeps rolling out faster, smarter, more collaborative tools. Meta’s Edits app now lets users export watermark-free clips that can be posted anywhere — even TikTok — while Adobe just announced a partnership bringing pro-level Premiere features and one-tap publishing straight to YouTube Shorts.

These companies are chasing creators. But what about teams?

If I were them, I’d borrow a page from the phone carrier playbook. Think “Shot on Pixel” — but for editing. Imagine “Edited on Adobe” or “Created with Edits” tagged on a Celtics highlight or Arsenal hype reel. And if that approach isn’t preferred by a team’s content team, even small integrations — a caption tag paired with an end slate (e.g., “Made with Adobe Express”) — can still build credibility and brand affinity across both fan and professional audiences.

Then take it further: repurpose the content via whitelisting for paid social, share behind-the-scenes breakdowns on team or brand channels, feature team editors in webinars or partner events. Let fans and marketers alike see the process — not just the product. Showing your work is more important than ever — especially as fans try to tell what’s real and what’s AI.

And here’s the real opportunity:

By working with sports teams, these brands complement their creator work while moving upstream. Teams are creative powerhouses with large, loyal audiences — but they’re also enterprise customers. Partnering with them means more than exposure; it’s a case study in how editing software supports collaboration across stakeholders. That’s where the bigger budgets live.

This is bigger than brand awareness. It’s the bridge between B2C storytelling and B2B sales.

In Today’s Edition:

• Score, Redeem, Repeat 🍔

• Pin It To Win It 🐘 

• Game Recognize Game 🏈 

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
How The Kansas City Chiefs’ Trigger Promotions Are More Than Just Deals

Most trigger promotions stop at the reward: make a play, get a deal. The Kansas City Chiefs are proving there’s a lot more you can do.

Their 2025 lineup of clever, fan‑focused offers shows how these campaigns can build brand affinity, associate brands with iconic on-field moments, and even drive incremental business. And let’s not forget the names — Big Mac Sack, Torch the Defense, Strips 4 Strips — smart, memorable titles that make fans instantly connect the promotion to the play with compounding impact the longer they go on.

These aren’t just offers; they’re rituals that engage fans, players, and communities alike.

Big Mac Sack 🍔

This one’s a classic — and for good reason. The Big Mac Sack has been a fan favorite for years, rewarding Chiefs fans with a BOGO Big Mac after every sack. But in 2025, the promotion got an upgrade.

McDonald’s and the Chiefs extended the moment from the field to the franchise. Chiefs-branded cups, in-store displays, and messaging around the Big Mac Sack now live at participating locations all season long. It’s not just a postgame reward anymore — it’s a reminder of the team every time fans grab lunch.

That’s how a trigger promo becomes a full-season campaign: it stays visible, connects in-store and on-field, and reinforces team fandom in an everyday setting.

Torch the Defense 🌮

Torchy’s Tacos is only in its second year as a Chiefs partner, but they’ve already raised the bar with “Torching the Defense.” Every time Kansas City pulls off an offensive play of 30+ yards, fans get a BOGO taco deal using the code TORCH30.

What takes it to another level is the charitable layer. For every redemption, Torchy’s donates $1 to the Worthy 1’s Foundation — started by Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy — to support single mothers and families in communities like Kansas City, Fresno, and Austin.

That addition turns a fun promotion into a purpose-driven one. Fans have an extra reason to redeem the offer, knowing they’re giving back through a player-led cause. And for Torchy’s, that means higher redemption rates, deeper community ties, and stronger alignment with both the team’s and player’s values. It’s more than a discount — it’s a culture play that rewards fans, empowers players, and supports the city.

Strips 4 Strips 🥩

Omaha Steaks joined the mix this season with “Strips 4 Strips,” giving fans four free Bone-In New York Strips (10 oz. each) with an online order of $99+ after the Chiefs force a fumble during a home game. But the real brilliance is the twist — the player responsible for the strip or recovery gets a colossal 36 oz. King Cut Strip Steak of their own.

That move turns a simple fan offer into something that connects the brand directly to the locker room. Omaha Steaks isn’t just rewarding fans — they’re building relationships with players, too. And you never know — if a player enjoys it enough to post about it, that could turn into earned social buzz or even open the door to a future endorsement deal.

It’s a clever way to align fan and player incentives while staying on brand. Omaha Steaks isn’t just rewarding fans; they’re inserting themselves into the postgame celebration and elevating how fans experience gameday — from tailgate to dinner table.

How Teams Can Activate 💡

If you’re looking to get the most out of your own trigger promotions, here’s a playbook that works. The Chiefs’ examples show what’s possible — but these are the best practices any team or brand can use to drive awareness, redemptions, and data capture.

• Use a platform like SQWAD (not sponsored) so fans automatically get an email when the trigger hits. You can integrate it into your app or website for a seamless experience.

• Run a month-long paid social campaign at the start of the season to drive sign-ups. Once fans opt in, it becomes a “set it and forget it” automation.

• Focus on mid- to lower-funnel channels like email, SMS, app or web push notifications, and QR codes in-venue or during your pregame broadcast.

• If organic social is a must, go with Instagram Stories, where fans are more accustomed to leaving the platform or taking action off-site.

• And don’t forget the brand’s own channels. If redemption happens through their mobile app, make sure the offer is featured via push notifications, home screen banners, or geo-targeted messages in your market.

These channels don’t just distribute the offer — they capture fan data, measure redemption lift, and turn a short-term promotion into a long-term marketing asset.

The Takeaway 🥡

The Chiefs are showing what evolution looks like in the trigger promotion space. Each offer does more than move product — it builds equity.

By rewarding fans and players, tying performance to purpose, and stretching activations beyond the field, Kansas City’s partners have found the next level of engagement. It’s no longer just “score, get a deal.” It’s “win, and everybody eats.”

🔍️ SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

You know your sponsored content hit when it crushes in the offseason. The New York Liberty dropped a video showing fans how to dress up as their mascot, Ellie the Elephant, ahead of Halloween. It was an ideal moment to activate their Pinterest partnership — and a natural fit for how people use the platform: for inspiration.

Liverpool delivered a concept worth stealing if you’ve got a phone carrier partner. Their admin held up a phone from the same angle where a highlight was originally captured — with that clip playing on the screen. Use this for product placement and be sure to tag the brand in the post as well.

The NFL’s YouTube series Game Recognize Game returned in October with a new sponsor, State Farm (previously Allstate). The show pits the league’s best players against other global stars — and it’s now tapping into YouTube’s new collab tool, letting episodes drop on AC Milan, PSG, and Real Madrid’s channels.

Speaking of Real Madrid, they took their Emirates partnership to new heights. Ahead of the year’s first El Clasico, the match ball was flown onto the pitch by a mini Emirates plane (via drone).

Back in the U.S., the Chicago Blackhawks kicked off a new season of Pepsi Zero Sugar Coating It, where players test how well they know their teammates. Excellent name with strong product integration.

And while we’re talking product integration, Kansas City Chiefs players tried their hands at nugget football in partnership with Tyson.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Fore The Feed: Still making my way through the 10+ hours of Internet Invitational footage — the $1M golf tournament from Bob Does Sports and Barstool Sports — but Colin Landforce nailed his breakdown on how their content capture and clipping strategy powers Instagram distribution.

Courtside Insights: Zoomph and STN Digital teamed up to release a 2025 WNBA social media report spotlighting the league’s top teams on social, fastest-growing accounts, and best-performing posts. Tons of insight into what’s driving engagement this season.

Fueling Fandom: I came across this one while watching Tottenham Hotspur’s Away Day Stories. The club’s partnership with Castrol includes an Away Fan Travel Fund (launched in 2024) that helps subsidize shared coach travel for Spurs fans heading to select away matches. It’s a smart, authentic way for a brand partnership to resonate with fans and build real loyalty.

Showtime On Social: Are social shows becoming a permanent part of Visa’s sports partnership strategy? This summer, they launched Take Your Driver To Work Day with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. Now they’ve debuted Fandamentals with the San Francisco 49ers.

Moment To Monetize: Ryan Bodger, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Now We Collide, explored why the 12 hours after a major sporting moment are the prime window for brands to authentically engage, create, and convert in real time [via Notice Newsletter].

Sweet Seat Play: The Los Angeles Clippers partnered with Candy Crush Saga to gamify halftime at the new Intuit Dome, letting fans use built-in seat controls to compete in live Candy Crush matches displayed on the Halo Board — all designed to get fans back in their seats before the third quarter tips off [via Forbes].

Storytelling Level Up: Under Armour just launched Lab96 Studios, their own in-house content shop, to tell fresh athletic stories and go way beyond basic ads—think docuseries, collabs with athletes and creators, and cool new content for GenZ and Gen Alpha [via Variety].