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The NFL Draft Set Up A War Room For Social Engagement
Touchscreen touchdown // Illustration by Kate Walker
The NFL turned this year’s draft into a masterclass in how to drive social-media engagement in real time.
Why It Hits: Social conversation is nearly impossible to control, so the NFL’s push to not just drive it but respond in real time requires active engagement. Last week was certainly a triumph for the league’s digital prowess, but it could also signal to sponsors, advertisers, and brand partners that creating content directly with the NFL is a winning strategy.
Between The Posts: The NFL’s social team may be the true MVP of the draft, according to Fast Company.
A dedicated 10-person crew onsite in Pittsburgh (and in offices in LA and NYC) produced roughly 1,000 pieces of content per day, averaging 33 pieces per hour.
They captured what was happening live while also responding in real time to sponsors, teams, players, VIP fans, and influencers.
Part of that strategy is to be the “source of truth,” according to the league’s SVP of global social and influencer marketing, Ian Trombetta. With so much misinformation surrounding the draft, the NFL positions itself as the benchmark for accuracy.
Last Down: As an event, the NFL Draft is a big deal. Not only are the lives of 257 football players changed, but hundreds of thousands of people descend on the host city, and it’s routinely one of the most-watched events of the year. In 2025, 600,000 people showed up in Green Bay, while 13.6 million watched across broadcast and streaming. Official NFL social channels pulled in 500 million views. This year’s numbers are expected to climb even higher… potentially making it one of the most active social weekends in America.
Well, that is until the World Cup this summer. It’s football vs. football.
Next Draft: As storytelling becomes the currency of branding, expect the NFL to spin its most popular draft picks into long-form narratives — the kind that evolve into premium series and documentaries.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.