The NFL dominates American sports — it accounted for 93 of the 100 most-watched TV broadcasts in all of 2023. But even as the nation’s most-watched sport, the NFL needed to modernize its app to bring the game closer to its die-hard fan base and new fans alike. So the NFL called an audible, transforming its app approach into more than just a game day companion, but an experience that fuels the rhythm of the game – every play, day and week, on and off-season.
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21.2Minutes spent on average per visit (+20% YoY)
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2.3BMinutes streamed in app (+5% YoY)
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5M+App users weekly
Key Takeaways
Transformed the NFL app into a dynamic, video-first hub tailored to every fan’s unique engagement journey.
Created an innovative modular design that adapts seamlessly across 32 teams, events, and personalized user preferences.
Boosted fan loyalty, expanded audience reach, and accelerated NFL+ growth through a bold, fan-first digital evolution.
Fueling the Rhythm of the Game
Forget the infinite feed. The NFL app mirrors the natural rhythm of football. The week starts with hyped-up matchups on Wednesday, flows into game days with previews and live streams, and winds down with replays and recaps. It’s football’s storyline brought to life, keeping fans hooked from kickoff to the final whistle.
32 Teams. 33 Design Systems. 1 App.
The app’s secret sauce, which fans experience but don’t see, is a modular design system built to adapt dynamically across all 32 teams, different game days, events, and a myriad of user preferences. Using atomic design principles, the app scales seamlessly for both macro-level needs (NFL-wide branding) and micro-level moments (individual team matchups or live events like the NFL Draft or Combine).
Making Sunday Appointment Viewing
Sundays aren’t just game days—they’re marathons. With 14 games spread across time slots, fans need more than a TV remote to keep up. The app’s “Game Switcher” lets users jump between matchups and RedZone with a tap, while a pinned video player ensures fans never miss a play, even while scrolling stats or catching up on news. Picture-in-picture and audio-only options cater to every fan, whether they’re glued to their screen or multitasking through the day.
“Redesigned just in time for the 2024 season, the new NFL keeps you hooked on football all week long.”
Reinventing the Digital Gridiron
For fans looking for a deeper dive, we reinvented Game pages, which pull together live and VOD video, audio, play-by-play, stats, drive charts and more. This includes two bold new features; first, a seamless pinned video player that enables game video or audio to stay with you as you travel around the app, allowing multitasking across scores, reading news and following the game. Second, a first-of-its-kind “game switcher” that lets fans quickly jump between games and RedZone
The Newest MVP
The NFL app has evolved beyond a simple game-day companion; it’s an experience that fuels the rhythm of the game – every play, day and week, on and off-season. It’s not just about watching football; it’s about living it.