NFL players produce big wins for sponsors on social

Through two weeks of the 2017 NFL Playoffs, 87 NFL players have shared 110 sponsored tweets, mentioning 33 different brands. Compared to the 2016 playoffs, the number of sponsored tweets have decreased (150 in 2016), but the average engagement rate has nearly doubled from 0.56 percent in 2016 to 0.99 percent in 2017.

Tide continues to be the NFL’s most mentioned sponsor, receiving 20 mentions from players through their #OurColors campaign. Here are the top 5 most mentioned brands from the first two weeks of the 2017 NFL Playoffs:

NFL player tweets mentioning Tide have generated more than 56 thousand engagements, more than five times that of any other brand. New Era’s activation of Greg Olsen has generated 10.9 thousand retweets and likes, good for second. Here are the brands receiving the most engagements from NFL Player tweets:

When brands activate the right athlete, at the right time, with the right content, they are able to generate a high engagement rate, earning the most bang for their buck. When Dallas Cowboys star Lucky Whitehead mentioned Lucky Charms before week two of the Playoffs, he generated 3.4 thousand engagements, good for a 6.05 percent engagement rate. Here are the brands receiving the highest engagement rate during the NFL Playoffs, maximizing the value of their investment:

Big name NFL Players have been called on to push branded content during the NFL Playoffs. Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen and Miami Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi have both shared four sponsored tweets. Here are the most activated NFL Players and the brands they’ve mentioned:

Antonio Brown has single handedly generated over 20 thousand engagements for brands during the NFL Playoffs. Here are the athletes responsible for the most brand engagements:

Taylor Gabriel’s candid mention of EA Sports Madden NFL video game resulted in a 23.19 percent engagement rate, by far the highest engagement rate among brand mentions during the first two weeks of the NFL Playoffs.