Dare we say it, has the NFL finally landed the right format for its Pro Bowl?
The marriage of non-live / live, on-the-field / off-the field content and social to streaming to linear distribution delivered a dynamic, fun, relatable and engaging fan experience
After years of being criticized for its lack of intensity and competitiveness, last year the NFL decided to rip up it’s playbook and roll out an entirely new format.
Why? Let’s be real! In today’s NFL landscape with the sheer amount of dollars on the table, there’s just no world where you are ever going to see an intense and competitive battle between your favorite players…. The risks drastically outweigh the rewards for everyone involved.
In 2023, year 1 of the new format, we saw a mix of skills competitions and flag football. We saw Peyton and Eli as coaches. We saw some of our favorite players. We saw them going pretty half-hearted. We saw the NFL machine apply its normal production and distribution apparatus. And what we got was an overly produced high school varsity flag football game that lacked just about everything that makes sport exciting.
But what were we hoping for? We think the biggest challenge for the NFL was actually setting and shifting expectations. This new Pro Bowl wasn’t about intense competition and rivalries, it was about a more dynamic, engaging, fan-friendly and fun format.
And so with that mindset, we came into 2024 to watch players face off in several different skills competitions and then a seven-on-seven flag football tournament.
DISRUPTIVE PLAY - How did the marriage of Live / Non-Live + On-the-Field / Off-the-field content combined with a distributed media approach deliver an unparalleled fan experience?
OFF-THE-FIELD, NON-LIVE FORMATS - Best Catch, Closest to the Pin, Madden Head to Head, Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball
We loved how these formats incorporated the non-live elements to bring something special and different to fans and sustain engagement on social media. Showcasing Athletes in different sports, combining on the field with off the field, we got to see our favorite athletes in a different and more relatable side playing the games we play with our friends in our houses. And on the platforms we live on from X to YouTube was a nice touch (you can see from the million views this hit the right platform). We applaud the desire to bring these non-live events into the competition and strongly suggest the NFL invests more here, not only for Pro Bowl but also throughout the season.
Best Catch: Instead thinking about Live and in stadium amazing catches (that we’ve seen 1,000’s of times, we got to experience a page from Dude Perfect’s playbook. Fans got to vote between to prerecorded catches featuring Los Angeles Rams rookie Puka Nacua and Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku. The player who received the highest number of votes on X using #BestCatch earned 3 points for their conference.
Closest to the Pin: This golf accuracy competition featured five players from each conference. They drove the golf ball, working to hit it as close to the hole as possible. The winner will earn 3 points for his conference. But guess what? They also hit it the water, rough and trap just like us, making this format much more relatable and fun to watch.
Madden head-to-head: NFC Pro Bowlers Micah Parsons and Puka Nacua faced off against AFC Pro Bowlers Tyreek Hill and David Njoku in Madden NFL 24 using this year’s Pro Bowl rosters. The winning team earned 3 points for their conference. Athletes want to be Gamers and Gamers want to be Athletes. And we want to be both. This is a great format that continues to evolve each year.
Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball: A multi-round tournament of classic dodgeball featuring four teams of seven players. In the first match, the AFC offense will face the NFC defense. In the second game, the NFC offense will face the AFC defense. The winner of each game will earn 3 points for their conference.
ON THE FIELD FORMATS - INVEST OR KILL - Tug-of-war, Precision Passing, Snap Shots, High Stakes, Flag Football, Move the Chains, Kick Tac Toe
We saw a variety of different on-the fields formats that ranged from we’ve seen it before and is sort of standard fare for all-star games to new approaches that have a lot of potential. Overall we think focusing on fewer better events will make the product feel more premium.
INVEST - Tug-of-war: 5 AFC players will take on 5 NFC players in an old-fashioned game of tug-of-war over a foam pit. The winning team of the best-of-three competition will earn their conference 3 points.
INVEST - Precision Passing: Each of the conference’s three quarterbacks will battle it out in a one-minute accuracy competition, as they attempt to accumulate points by hitting as many targets as possible. In the second round, the highest scoring quarterback from each conference will take turns hitting as many targets as possible on six throws each. The quarterback with the highest score earns three points for his conference.
INVEST - High Stakes: Starting off with two footballs in hand, each player will attempt to catch punts from a JUGS machine. Each player that succeeds in catching the football without dropping others will advance to the next round and attempt to catch an additional football. The most sure-handed player who catches the most footballs wins.
INVEST - Gridiron Gauntlet: 5 players from each conference will compete in a relay race featuring a 40-yard dash with an inflated parachute, a series of breakaway walls, a blocking sled, and other challenges.
INVEST - Flag football game: The AFC and NFC teams will face off in three seven-on-seven flag football games.
KILL - Snap Shots: Each of the conference’s long snapper and centers snap balls at targets of various sizes and point values in a 45-second accuracy contest. Snapping from 13 yards away, the conference with the highest cumulative score between their three players win.
KILL - Move the chains: 2 teams from each conference will compete by pulling a heavily weighted wall 10-yards as quickly as possible using first-down chains.
KILL - Kick Tac Toe: Each team’s kicker will compete in a giant Tic-Tac-Toe competition to showcase their skills. The first kicker to complete a connecting line of three squares or hit five squares total will be declared the winner and earn 3 points for his conference.