The NFL is the most powerful sports platform in North America. Year-round conversation. The biggest audience in the country, engaged nearly every month of the calendar. Most sponsors only show up for one week of it. MikeWorldWide‘s Sports & Analytics team audited every NFL sponsor’s earned coverage, as well as a set of unofficial brands active in the space. We’re releasing an 11-brand sample that mirrors the macro findings — 5,500+ pieces of earned coverage looking at Subway, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar, Little Caesars Pizza, Pizza Hut, Toyota North America, USAA, State Farm, PepsiCo, DoorDash and Uber Eats

Sports Business Journal covered the report; here’s a preview:

🏈 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱. In two of the four category matchups we tested, the non-sponsor out-earned the official sponsor on volume and reach — without spending a dollar on rights. Paying for the Shield gets you access. It doesn’t get you the story.

🏈 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗙𝗟 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝟭𝟮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱. 56.9% of all earned coverage in the study clustered around the Super Bowl alone. Kickoff week, when the league re-enters every fan’s daily routine, one brand out of eleven had real presence.

The season starts again in a matter of days. Most sponsors aren’t building a platform that carries them through; they’re renting one for a weekend.

There’s also a finding in the study about where that conversation is happening and how much of it official sponsors are missing entirely. We’re saving that one. If you’re a brand wondering where you’d land on this scoreboard, reach out; happy to share what we found.