NFL growth in Australia, Diplo's new run club
Today’s lineup:
The NFL are in international expansion mode, and Australia is part of the plan
Grammy award-winning music producer, Diplo has started a new one-of-a-kind run club... could this new event concept be a sign of things to come?
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The NFL are in international expansion mode, and Australia is part of the plan
The NFL has a plan to grow its international business over a 10-year period and are aiming to:
Generate $1b new annual revenue
Attract 50m new fans
An initiative underpinning this is the league’s "Global Markets Program" which provides NFL clubs with access to global markets for fan engagement initiatives which include:
Watch parties
Visits from star players during the offseason
Digital marketing campaign initiatives
Community initiatives such as flag football
Hosting games in international markets is also key, and NFL clubs have recently voted to approve an increase in annual international games from 4, up to 8 games a season, beginning in 2025.
In Australia...
The NFL have started rolling out their plan.
In 2022, the NFL formally entered the Australian market, with Charlotte Offord becoming the NFL's General Manager in Australia & New Zealand
Accrording to YouGov Sport, The Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles have 290k and 291k fans in Australia respectively, and they’ve been granted approval to focus their fan engagement activities in Australia
Jordan Mailata, who just signed a 3-year $66 million contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles, is set to pay a visit to Australia this week (Gold Coast, Sydney & Melbourne)
The NRL hosted their first ever double header in Las Vegas this year and collaborated with the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders to help make this happen
Record-breaking broadcast: Seven Network' broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII reached 2.7 million Australians across Seven and 7plus, marking a 43% increase from 2023
In February, the NFL hosted their first ever Australian official Super Bowl party on Sydney Harbour
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At the grassroots level Flag Football is driving growth.
Flag Football is the NFL's non-contact, 5-a-side version which aims to introduce young people to the the game and inspire the next generation of players.
Flag football is set to be played at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the NFL is looking to leverage this by attracting some of Australia's highest-profile AFL and NRL stars to compete - Charlie Curnow, Nick Daicos, Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga are some of the names who've been reported to be on the target list.
International growth is clearly a major strategic priority for the NFL and they have an attractive game, and an unrivaled amount of resources to make their expansion plans a success.
Given Australia's market is already a highly saturated one, teams and leagues will need to prepare themselves for new competition and factor this in to their future strategic plans.
Grammy award-winning music producer, Diplo has started a new one-of-a-kind run club... could this new event concept be a sign of things to come?
Run clubs are emerging in all shapes and sizes, and increasingly from unexpected places:
Community groups
Small businesses, local sports shops & retail stores
Large, blue-chip brands
Social media influencers
Digital media businesses
Gym start-ups
Diplo has now entered the run club world, launching a new concept that combines two of his passions (running + music) to create a new & unique run club experience.
Diplo’s new run club:
5km course
2 x locations: San Francisco & Seattle
Ticketed event
After parties with DJ-sets
What’s in it for Diplo?
New revenue
His run club events are ticketed, and although costs are low (compared to one of his regular concerts) and it appears to be a pilot given it’s only in 2 x locations, if the concept works it could be expanded to unlock an entire new revenue stream in the future.
Earned media
He’s created a unique event concept by combing 2 x popular things (running + music festivals) and this novelty, combined with his star-power generates mass public interest and talkability
More music streaming
Our relationship with music has changed over time and today, it's more functional than passive. Music has become a tool to enhance our daily activities, and this includes running.
Recognising the above trend, and to capitalise on the coverage he receives through launching this new concept, he’s created a new Spotify playlist relevant for runners.
There are millions of people around the world who run regularly, and by building an association between his music and running, more people from the global running community will be inclined to stream his music whilst pounding the pavement.
With 602m Spotify users worldwide, other brands with similar intentions such as Nike, Peloton, and the Gymshark have created curated playlists of their own.
Moving forward:
Will this new event concept take-off?
Will we see more run clubs emerge from unexpected brands, personalities and places?
Watch this space.
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Not yet a subscriber? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.
Great post
Love the idea of the Diplo Run Club 🙌 can I share this in next week’s highlight reel?