Since the pandemic, the NFL’s sponsor count has looked relatively stable, moving from 39 in 2019 to 38 today. But as the league’s needs have evolved, so has the makeup of its sponsors. Much as the NFL’s once-exclusive alcohol category partner Anheuser-Busch has made room for Diageo and E&J Gallo, Applebee’s is part of a suite of food service partners that already includes Subway, Little Caesars and Uber Eats.
NFL sponsors no longer exist to fill a category: They enter the fold based on their relationship with football, what they can bring to the league in return and how well they can play along with others. Given Applebee’s sport-brand pedigree and pre-existing circle of NFL-sponsor friends, it’s made a strong argument for eatin’ good in the league’s neighborhood.
“I need the right partners that are going to work across the league in the NFL ecosystem, support our clubs, support our players and drive fan engagement,” Rodburg said. “Those are the partners that we look at and then ask, ‘How can they fit in with the group that we have, and how can they authentically tell their story?’”
The NFL’s favorite neighbor
According to Rodburg, Applebee’s and the NFL have been discussing this sponsorship opportunity for the last two years. Applebee’s partnerships with NBC and its work with PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch got the league’s attention, as did the chain’s regular broadcasts of its games through DirectTV’s commercial version of the NFL’s Sunday Ticket.
For all of the chain’s high-school football decor and connections to the game, however, the NFL impressed the importance of official sponsorship upon Applebee’s early—noting the premium that fans are willing to pay for NFL-official Wilson footballs or Nike jerseys.
“I remember years ago when Applebee’s was just with Football Night in America. They were trying to use NFL content in the opening of the show with their brand, and we kept saying, ‘Nope, can’t do it. They’re not a partner,’” Rodburg said. “You could see years ago where they understood how authenticity helps.”
The league also wanted Applebee’s to realize its sponsorship made it part of a team, and that requires some occasional teamwork.
The NFL already conducts sponsor summits so its partner brands can interact with each other while ensuring no one encroaches on another’s territory. However, with Applebee’s, the league sees an opportunity for Pepsi—for example—to expand its Rookie of the Week promotions to restaurant sites. Anheuser-Busch would have similar opportunities with its promotions and properties.
