Global NFL partnership elevates California in key international markets

Visit California entered into a two-year international partnership with the National Football League (NFL), one of the world’s most culturally influential sports brands, to elevate California’s presence in key global markets and connect the state with millions of NFL fans around the world.

The partnership comes at a unique moment for the state, with California hosting the Super Bowl in back-to-back years in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. These global moments create an extraordinary opportunity to position California on one of the largest cultural stages in the world and inspire international travel to the state.

As part of the partnership, Visit California leveraged official NFL intellectual property and storytelling across priority international markets including Canada, Mexico, UK and Australia. The NFL’s scale, reach, and cultural influence; particularly around tentpole moments like the Super Bowl, offer a compelling platform and rare opportunity to break through in highly competitive international markets, support our efforts to drive consideration and reinforce Visit California’s global brand leadership.

In the lead up to Super Bowl LX in the San Francisco Bay Area, Visit California activated across multiple channels to connect with international fans and media. The program included digital media placements, storytelling tied to California’s sports culture and destination experiences, and immersive fan engagement at official Super Bowl events in Canada and Mexico. Across the campaign, Visit California’s investment in media across Canada, Mexico and Australia, generated 39 million impressions and engaged 6000 fans, high value clients and influencers in person through Super Bowl-related activations.

Creative paid media highlighted California’s iconic destinations and experiences, reinforcing the state’s Ultimate Playground brand positioning while introducing global audiences to the diversity of travel opportunities available across the state.

The NFL partnership represents a powerful platform for California to stand out in highly competitive international markets and connect with global audiences through sport and culture. The collaboration will continue over the next year, expanding into additional markets and new activations as Visit California leverages the NFL’s global reach to tell California’s story through sport, culture and travel.