Fantasy Football

How the NFL Went Mobile and Changed Football Forever

How has the NFL used technology to expand its brand, as well as produce more outlets for viewers to watch games?

The world has gone mobile. Since the first iPhone hit the market in 2007, smartphones have become smarter and that means we’re now able to do almost anything via our mobiles. From entertainment and business to communication and dating, our lives are literally in the palm of our hands nowadays. And the stats prove this is the case.

In 2018, the number of apps across the Apple Store and Google Play topped 4.1 million. In unison with the surge in apps, revenue increased. According to estimates from Sensor Tower Store Intelligence, mobile users spent $71.3 billion on games and content in 2018. That’s an increase of 20.4% on the previous year and something that proves we love apps more than ever.

The NFL Takes Inspiration from All Industries

With that being the case, the NFL has jumped on the bandwagon. Via the official app, fans can now get breaking news, videos, team updates and highlights direct to their smartphone or tablet. What’s interesting about the app is that it’s taken inspiration from a variety of sources.

In the first instance, the cross-compatibility is something online gaming developers have embraced for the best part of a decade. To cater to a wide variety of players and ensure offers reach their intended targets, gaming companies optimize their software for all devices. In practice, this makes games available to users on their desktop, iOS and Android, and even available on Blackberry devices. Then, when you scroll through a list of leading online casino sites, you’ll see that they’re designed to appeal to all players. For example, at one of Canada’s leading platforms Sloty, the emphasis is on free spins bonuses. In contrast, Zodiac Casino allows new customers to join the action for just $1, which makes it more suited to novices – everyone is covered.

Although exact figures are hard to determine, American football is now played and watched in 80 countries. Beyond that, the 2018 Super Bowl averaged 100 million viewers. Much like gaming companies, the NFL needs to serve a huge market. Because of that, it’s app is available for iOS and Android. Beyond that, it too has products for Blackberry and Windows Phone devices.

Greater Accessibility Leads to More Entertainment

Tied into this idea of cross-platform compatibility is the NFL’s decision to host its app on connected smart TVs. By streaming highlights on demand, the league has tapped into the same kind of popularity enjoyed by Netflix, YouTube and Twitch.

Perhaps the most important quality the NFL has embraced is diversity. The best mobile apps are either constantly evolving or splintering off into auxiliary products. For NFL draft fans, the NFL’s main app feeds into other platforms, including NFL Fantasy. Essentially a fantasy football platform that’s always by your side, this app gives you the ability to make changes in the moment. The great thing about this is that you can take draft updates from our pages and then implement any necessary changes in real time. In terms of your fantasy results, that’s a huge positive.

However, outside of your own results, these mobile innovations have opened up football to a much larger audience. Whether it’s hardcore fans looking for the latest updates or casuals wanting a few minutes’ entertainment, the NFL’s apps have everyone covered. That’s not only great for the audience but the sport as a whole. What’s even better is that this revolution doesn’t look as though it’s going to stop. As mobile technology improves and innovations such as augmented reality (AR) start to take hold, the ways in which we enjoy football will only get better.

Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

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