TikTok makes a big play for NFL fans

Many football fans are not choosing between watching the game and scrolling TikTok , but are doing both.

Now TikTok wants to make that habit official.

Days before the 2026 NFL season begins, TikTok and the NFL announced a new multiyear partnership that will bring more highlights, archival footage, player-focused videos, and other official content to the platform.

The agreement will also introduce NFL hubs where fans can find scores and schedules, then follow links to tune into game broadcasts.

There is already a sizable audience waiting for all of it.

According to TikTok, posts using #NFL increased by more than 32 percent between August 2025 and August 2026.

The league’s main @NFL account has more than 20 million followers, while eight international accounts serve fans in markets including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, Australia, and the UK and Ireland.

At first glance, this might sound like another agreement to put sports highlights on social media.

But TikTok and the NFL have been building toward something much bigger for years.

Credit: TikTok TikTok and the NFL first teamed up in 2019 , when the league launched its official account with highlights, sideline footage, behind-the-scenes videos, and hashtag challenges.

Its first campaign, #WeReady, invited fans and creators to celebrate their teams ahead of the NFL’s 100th season.

The partnership did not stay confined to the For You page for long.

Beginning in 2021, the companies staged the annual NFL TikTok Tailgate, a livestreamed Super Bowl pregame event that combined musical performances with appearances from players and creators.

By its fourth edition in 2024, headlined by Gwen Stefani, TikTok said the event attracted 2.2 million live viewers.