Open Extended Reactions
One day every spring, NFL teams compete against one another — on social media.
On paper, the league's annual schedule release day should largely be a formality. The teams' respective opponents are already known, so schedule release day simply reveals the dates on which the games will be played.
What could be a mundane process, however, has in recent years evolved into a social media sensation — a battle of wit, design and creativity among teams to produce the most memorable schedule reveal posts. The all-in approach has also resonated with fans. Last year's most viewed reveal on X — the Los Angeles Chargers’ Minecraft-themed release video — amassed 19.2 million views.
Were the heights that this day has reached a predictable endpoint to the rise of schedule release day? Probably not. Just take it from Ian Trombetta, NFL senior vice president of social, influencer and content marketing.
"We were encouraged by it," Trombetta told ESPN of the trend's emergence. "I didn't know that it would have this kind of, not only shelf life, but it's continued to grow."
Schedule release day is here. And it's as big as ever. Welcome to the NFL's spring social media Super Bowl.
This all started in 2016 with cupcakes.
That April, the Seattle Seahawks, inspired by “the popular short cooking videos that are popular on social media these days,” decided to mix things up a bit for their schedule release. They made a video showing a batch of cupcakes being baked, with a number of unlikely ingredients being added to the recipe that referenced their opponents, ranging from plastic Mardi Gras beads (New Orleans Saints) to buffalo sauce (Buffalo Bills).
The video then showed quick shots of 16 cupcakes representing each team Seattle was playing, with the date and time of each matchup listed in the top corner of the clip. The creative approach was well received, and other teams took note.
A spirit of one-upmanship began inspiring teams to generate their own progressively original releases. The release content arms race allowed on-field rivalries across the league to find a playful springtime outlet as teams hung their hat on possessing better banter or more creative flair.
Intense divisional matchups will always be decided on the field, but this form of one-upmanship allows rivals to land lighthearted early blows.
"It's competitive," Trombetta said. "I'll be the first to say that. You'll see it especially within the divisions, if one team really runs out and does something super creative one year, then the others typically will jump in and follow along."
Looking to outdo a divisional rival doesn't necessarily mean a team needs to follow that foe's path. In fact, one reason the day has become such a favorite is the array of approaches teams take.
There's no right answer to how to handle it. Some content works better on certain social media platforms than others. As a general rule, fans appreciate teams going with a tone that suits their character. Some squads go with a brash tone. Others lean into celebrity star power. Regardless of what creative choices are made, staying in tune is a key component of a successful release.
"What I love about it the most is that you really start to see the personalities of each of the teams come through," Trombetta said. "You've got a team like the Chargers that's always very provocative and really kind of pushes the envelope, you've got other clubs that are maybe more celebrity-based and do a great job with high-end production value, like the Cowboys, and everything in between.
"I think it's really important you stay true to your brand, and who you are as a club."
The other asset schedule release day has going for it is its placement in the league calendar. Late spring is generally a dry month for NFL activity. The big-name free agents have all signed, the draft has come and gone and the eve of training camp still looms far on the horizon.
Enter Thursday, when, for at least one night, fans can ignore the many months without football ahead and focus on how their team's fall calendar shapes up, and how the new players who have arrived via the draft will soon begin to make their mark.
"Coming out of the draft, everyone's so excited to watch their team and all the new players and see what the matchups are," Trombetta said. "So I think it's just one of those things that feeds that appetite."
The schedule release also plays a key role in helping the league reach out to new fans. The NFL will play a record nine games outside the United States next season, with commissioner Roger Goodell having said that his goal is to get to 16 international games per year. TikTok videos have proved to be a particular hit among international fans — Trombetta noted that just under half of the league’s audience on the app comes from overseas markets.
The same applies to younger and more casual fans. Creative videos can help intrigue audiences that might not have been drawn into NFL content otherwise.
"I think the league and clubs have done a really good job of meeting these generations where they're at instead of trying to bring them to us," Chargers vice president of digital marketing and social media Megan Julian told ESPN about Los Angeles’ social media presence — which included another viral release video — in 2023. “You don’t have to be the traditional football fan; we will adapt to you because you’re the next generation of fans.”
As for what fans can expect from Thursday's batch of releases? The safe money is on the ambition barometer continuing to tick high.
"I'm going to have four different monitors up to kind of consume everything," Trombetta said. "This [year] is probably the most excitement that I've heard collectively around the league."
