Mediaboss Marketing

The NFLs first television sponsor in 12 years is thinking social first with its activation plans, and is also considering bolt-on deals with EA Sports and league media rights holders Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.

TCL, the Chinese television maker that has increased global market share in recent years, wants to supercharge its brand recognition and sales in the United States specifically focusing on its gargantuan 98-inch models and their potential role in the life of a football fan.

Weve got aspirations to be the best-selling 90-inch-plus television brand in America, and thats what were focused on, said Chris Hamdorf, an electronics sales veteran hired by TCL in April 2022 to guide its growth ambitions. Thats going to create a halo effect for the rest of our line.

The terms of TCLs sponsorship deal are unknown, but Hamdorf called it one of the companys most significant marketing expenditures globally.

TCL went big in the NFL to promote its giant 98-inch televisions.

TCLs giant TVs had a prominent spot during the NFL Draft telecast, when they served as the backdrop for red-carpet interviews done by ESPN analyst Mina Kimes. However, the brand is now focused on the regular season part of the calendar that accounts for 55%-65% of all television sales, a period that coincides with holiday shopping. Theyre considering activating around the Aug. 3 Hall of Fame Game as kickoff to TV-buying season.

Social media, a marketing channel still in its infancy when market leader Samsung left the NFL fold in 2011, will play a key role in, as Hamdorf puts it, giving the consumer permission to consider the 98-inch option.

TCLs vision for social marketing is to create short-form content showing their products in the lives of NFL players and teams. Imagine, for instance, an Instagram reel showing players entering training camp in August and being wowed by new, giant TCL televisions showing highlights, or playing video games on a TCL screen.

Thats one of the things where we have an intersection with a lot of the players, younger players especially they love to game, Hamsdorf said, floating the possibility of working with the Madden video game series produced by EA Sports under contracts with the NFL and NFL Players Inc.

So far, TCL has done team deals with the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf and Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. will appear on packaging. TCL will shoot a commercial with Herbert in June, Hamsdorf said.

To the brand awareness end, the NFL rights allow TCL to show NFL broadcast footage on its display models in retail (Best Buy, Costco and Walmart are key distributors). The company is also in talks with Amazon and Google to specifically promote and display Amazon Thursday Night Football or YouTubes Sunday Ticket in stores.

In 2022, TCL narrowly edged out rival LG to become the second-largest TV brand in the world by units shipped, according to a February report by research firm Omdia. However, its estimated 11.7% share remains far behind Samsung, at nearly 20%.

A television this big and wide is a premium product. But with economic uncertainty roiling U.S. consumers, TCL will make a value pitch to football fans, Hamsdorf said: its 98-inch screen TV has a typical price of around $6,000, similar to other brands 85-inch models.

Read more:
TCL leaning on NFL sponsorship to turbocharge growth ambitions - Sports Business Journal