Ticketmaster Dominates NFL Schedule Release Night

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

Player playlists rarely work—until now.

Player playlists are a common pitch to brands in the audio and music space. And while the brand-content alignment makes sense, they rarely hold attention over the course of a season.

They tend to work better for leagues and publishers, where you can cherry-pick stars across the sport.

On the team side—where you might only have a few marketable players—the concept loses steam fast when it’s the main focus of a post.

I was generally out on the idea. Until I saw how FC Barcelona executed it.

Instead of building a whole series around player playlists, they made them an extension of their match day graphics—sponsored by Spotify.

The graphics live across all their social channels, but the Instagram Story and WhatsApp versions link directly to a match day playlist—naturally, on Spotify.

So why does it work?

For starters, you won’t find a better brand-content fit than an audio streamer sponsoring music playlists—especially when fans are being driven straight to Spotify.

Plus, Spotify is already the jersey sponsor. The match day graphics feature players in kit, so the brand integration feels seamless.

And the channel strategy is spot-on: they’re using IG Stories and WhatsApp, which are perfect for driving off-platform traffic.

Takeaway: It’s not about the playlist—it’s about where and how it’s delivered.

In Today’s Edition:

• NFL Schedule Release Scouting Report 📋️

• From Grid To Gala 🏎️ 

• Duracell Drives Crossover Collab 🏌️ 

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
2025 NFL Schedule Release By The Numbers

We’re dropping Sponcon Sports early this week—less than 12 hours after the 2025 NFL Schedule Release. Here are the stats and trends you need to know:

Sponsorship Stats

97% of teams (31-of-32) had sponsored Schedule Release assets (hero video or graphics). The only exception? The Los Angeles Rams. (Though their Between The Horns live reaction show was sponsored by Toyota.)

78% of Schedule Release videos (25-of-32) were sponsored. Of the seven teams without a video sponsor, six had a sponsor on their static graphics.

96% of sponsored videos (24-of-25) included a brand logo. The Philadelphia Eagles were the only team that skipped the logo.

52% (13-of-25) of teams with sponsored videos tagged their brand partner in the post.

44% (11-of-25) integrated the sponsor logo directly into the video—not just as an overlay.

12% (3-of-25) included product integration:

• New York Jets: JetBlue plane featured in their hand-drawn video.

• Chicago Bears: United Airlines plane and terminal appeared in their Hunt for Ben Johnson concept.

• Pittsburgh Steelers: Players searched for a sasquatch in the Laurel Highlands, highlighting a regional tourism partner.

Ticketmaster was a sponsor for 50% (16-of-32) of NFL teams on Schedule Release night, more than triple the next most common brand (SeatGeek, with 5 teams).

Only six brand categories were primarily featured across the NFL:

• Ticketing: Ticketmaster (16), SeatGeek (5), Vivid Seats (1)

• Airlines: United (2), Delta (1), JetBlue (1), Allegiant (1)

• Tourism: Visit Laurel Highlands (1)

• Real Estate: Dream Finders Homes (1)

• Fintech: Shift4 (1)

• Healthcare: BizCare Benefits (1)

My Personal Favorites

The Los Angeles Chargers had the best video of the night. Ironically, expecting the Chargers to have the best schedule release video is like picking their division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs to go to the Super Bowl. Some will say that’s the easy pick, but it’s important we recognize all the hard work and organizational talent that goes into standing above the rest year over year. Pro tip: scan the QR code at the 2:50 mark, take the Raiders route, and wait until the end.

Speaking of LA, the Jets dropped their video at 8:44 PM ET—nearly an hour after the release window opened. Why? They used the time to tailor their post’s copy around the Chargers’ theme. It worked: the video racked up 775K+ views on X.

The Houston Texans brought back Budweiser’s iconic “WAZZUPPPP” ad, remixing it with local celebrities throwing their H’s up. They even turned their schedule release into a game for data capture. Brilliant on multiple levels.

For the second year in a row, the Washington Commanders did a great job integrating SeatGeek directly into their video. This time they did it at the beginning and end of their Roller Coaster Tycoon-themed piece.

The Tennessee Titans spoofed a Skyrizi ad. Bold, weird, and fresh. I was into it.

The Dallas Cowboys technically released their schedule hours early via a livestream. Hidden clues throughout America’s Stream were revealed later in the hero video.

The New York Giants’ B-side video featured opponents singing their own team names. I could see this evolving into a hero video format—fun concept, great planning.

The Carolina Panthers had a Secret Meeting-themed video where Xavier Legette revealed his real voice (British accent!). They called back to that moment with a behind-the-scenes video narrated by Legette, aka a British text-to-voice filter. Great attention to detail.

Just like the Jacksonville Jaguars did last year, the San Francisco 49ers used their schedule release video to tease a new uniform drop.

[Social Value: $708,822] Damson Idris linked up with Tommy Hilfiger—sponsor of the APXGP car in the upcoming F1 movie—for an unexpected Met Gala arrival that seriously delivered.

[Social Value: $79,079] Look for ways to collaborate with others who share your brand partners. Example: Tom Brady challenged Williams Racing driver Carlos Sainz to target practice on a floating green in a Duracell-sponsored video. The real gem? A candid convo between Brady and Sainz from the shoot was later shared on Williams’ YouTube channel (125K+ views) for some extra mileage.

[Social Value: $4,642] Let me put you onto Joe Bonham’s Bandwagon or Diehard series. The format is built to grab attention—and nails the sponsor tie-in with TickPick at the end of each episode.

[Social Value: $837] The Minnesota Lynx handed Natisha Hiedeman a pair of Meta Glasses to capture BTS footage on media day.

[Social Value: $5,537] The Chicago Cubs had Dansby Swanson blind rank upcoming promo items using a custom AR lens. A fun, social-native way to spotlight multiple sponsors at once.

*Social value is defined as the full equivalent media value of this social post based on applicable impressions, video views, and engagements.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Scan To Score: FC Bayern is using a QR code version of the Allianz logo on their jersey sleeve to give away three of their new away kits.

Deep Shot Data: MLB is introducing a new stat in 2026: the True Home Run—tracking balls that would clear at least half of all MLB stadiums. If you work in baseball, start thinking about how to build sponsored content series around it now.

Inbox, In Gear: Dr. Georgie Carroll did a full audit of F1 team newsletters—breaking down everything they’ve sent fans over the first six races of the season. It’s a must-read for anyone thinking about direct-to-fan strategy in sports.

Assist From AI: The San Antonio Spurs are using ChatGPT to scale their impact—on and off the court.

Platform Power Moves: Lindsey Gamble delivered a sharp breakdown of IAB NewFronts, showing how social media platforms’ biggest ad updates center on creators, culture, and community.