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Anticipation for this year’s Super Bowl was high, but who knew that this year’s event would become America’s most-watched program since the moon landing, with a whopping 123.4 million viewers tuning in to the big game? I don’t think I expected that either.
While the Taylor Swift effect certainly played a role in achieving these staggering numbers, there’s more to the modern NFL than celebrity fans, touchdowns, and tailgate parties. The league has grown into a case study for businesses looking to support communities across the country.
The NFL has long supported philanthropy, but in recent years has significantly increased its commitment to player safety, social responsibility and social justice.
Visit the community page on the NFL website to learn about the league’s wide-ranging efforts, from environmental sustainability to domestic violence education, youth fitness, early cancer detection and prevention, and youth character development. .
I learned about the broader scope of the NFL’s social responsibility work through another NFL initiative, the league’s social justice platform, Inspire Change. Its goal is to reduce barriers to opportunity, especially in communities of color. From current and former players, he has worked at every level of the league, from NFL teams and their owners to league headquarters.
Related article: Former NFL player talks about “identity shift” being the key to success
Inspire Change drives the NFL’s investments in organizations, programs, and initiatives that reduce barriers to opportunity based on four pillars: education, economic development, community-police relations, and criminal justice reform.
My connection to this program came from a partnership between Inspire Change, my organization (Legacy+), and the Martin Luther King III Foundation.
Martin Luther King III, his wife Andrea Waters King, and their daughter Yolanda Renee King were looking for a way to commemorate the upcoming 100th anniversary.th Happy birthday to Martin’s father, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As a result, a bold new initiative, Realize the Dream” was born. birth.
The NFL was the obvious choice to expand Dr. King’s vision of unity and launch historic community service programs. No other platform has the reach or global visibility that the NFL has. In 2023, the league averaged 17.2 million viewers per game for 272 regular season games, creating a viewership potential unmatched in North America.
Because these critical attendance numbers increase exponentially during the playoffs, we worked closely with the NFL to launch a five-year service campaign during Wild Card Weekend, which coincides with MLK Day in 2024.
The game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers began with a commemorative coin toss by Martin Luther King III, Andrea Waters King, and Yolanda Renee King.
A series of events and activities took place over the weekend, with MLK decals and Dr. King’s iconic “Be Love” message placed on the helmets of all 318 players participating in the weekend’s games. The messages “Be Love” and “It Takes All of Us” were also stenciled into the end zones of every game.
The Kings’ opening game drew more than 29.2 million spectators. Although this number seems low compared to Super Bowl viewership, the game was the second most-watched NFL game in ESPN history. A public service announcement will be broadcast on all networks covering the game (ESPN, ABC, CBS) over the weekend, with over 180 million viewers tuning in to watch the game and hear the powerful message of Realize the Dream. Did.
We enlisted the support of the NFL, which goes beyond its ability to reach tens of millions of viewers to raise awareness about issues of diversity and equity. Along with Inspire Change, the league is actively working to increase the number of Black head coaches and officials so that diversity on the field is reflected on the sidelines and in the owner’s box.
To accomplish that goal, the league adopted the Rooney Rule in 2003. Named after the former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also served as chairman of the league’s diversity committee, the rule is designed to improve recruiting and hiring to fill coaching and front office positions in order to have more talent available. It stipulates the requirements for the interview. Minority candidates were also considered and accepted.
Related: Why we all need to join the fight for workplace diversity
The NFL’s support for Realize the Dream is another positive step in accelerating the league’s diversity and inclusion efforts, and we may already be seeing the benefits.
Within days of the start of the campaign, the New England Patriots named Jerod Mayo their new head coach, the Atlanta Falcons hired Raheem Morris to lead the team, and the Las Vegas Raiders named interim head coach. promoted Antonio Pierce to a full-time position.
While these three hires, which happened so close to the launch of Realize the Dream, may be dismissed as a coincidence, it does reflect how the league’s open approach to diversity has influenced the actions of owners, teams, and players. It is also possible that it reflects how much money is given.
That’s the power of corporate impact initiatives that permeate the entire organization. It’s another story for the NFL to make lump sum donations to Achieving Dreams and other causes, but the level of buy-in was visible on team uniforms, helmets and end zones on the field. Millions of viewers tuned in from their homes and restaurants.
While donating to charity is a commendable way for companies to give back, concrete actions like the one the NFL is taking will have a real impact and ultimately be a force for change. .
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