In 2022, the British market research and data analytics firm YouGov reported that one fifth of consumers globally expressed something of an interest in the NFL or that the league was one of their top interests. In the United States itself, approximately 200 million people watched Super Bowl LVII, which took place on February 12, 2023. That was 60% of people in the USA, all following the action. The NFL is, in a nutshell, massive.
Are you an NFL fan? If not, developing an interest in American football is something you should consider. Below is a look at the reasons why you should follow the NFL and how, if you’re a recently developed fan of the league, you can enjoy your new interest.
Why you should watch NFL games
Any die-hard fan of the NFL will tell you it’s the best league in the world, but you’ve got to have more convincing reasons than that to follow a sport. Here are some of the main reasons to watch NFL:
One game per week
Players in some other sports, such as the NBA, follow a grueling schedule and play more than one game per week. This isn’t the case with the NFL, where teams only play once a week. The NFL schedule makes it easier to catch games on TV or attend them live and stay up to date with events in the league.
All out non-stop action
Whereas in some sports, you have put up with frequent spells of commercial if you’re watching on TV, this is less the case with the NFL. During NFL games, it’s possible to see long periods of play before the TV interrupts with commercials.
The drama
Some teams may be dominant and some players may be superstars, but anyone can beat anyone in the NFL. Even the worst teams in the league can put on a performance that leaves the rest out in the shade that week. Games can be high scoring and can rest on defensive matchups where even the slightest slip up could cost the team the game.
The Super Bowl
Welcome to the greatest one-day sporting event on the planet! This is the annual NFL championship game, played between the winners of National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC), and takes place in either January or February. Anyone who follows the Super Bowl knows that this year, according to NFL odds, the favorite to win the Super Bowl is the Philadelphia Eagles, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Enjoying the NFL when you’re new to it
Where do you start when you want to get into a sport but don’t know how? Here are some tips:
Learn the basic rules
Although it might sound obvious, learning the basic rules of the game is one of the very first things you should do. You should learn about pass interference, intentional grounding and other misdemeanors on the football field and what the penalties are for them.
Keep up to date with stats and scores
Staying up to date with all the scores and stats is important to enjoy the NFL. Be sure to follow the latest news on teams and players, and on events relating to the NFL. This will help you to understand better what’s happening during games. It’s also relatively easy to do because there’s so much content available now online, and as you consume more you’ll be able to understand the rules and regulations of the game easier.
Get together with friends and/or family
One of the best things about watching the NFL is that you can do it with friends or family. Get together, prepare some finger foods (nachos, chicken wings and other finger foods are ideal because they’re easy to share) and then sit down to watch the game. If you’re struggling to follow the action, others who are more knowledgeable about the game can help you keep track of what’s going on.
Watch the match live in a bar or in the stadium
You don’t always have to go to a friend’s or family member’s house to watch a game. You can catch a match live at a bar and soak up the atmosphere there, or even get some tickets for a live game and experience the thrill of being in the stadium for the match. There’s nothing quite like the roar of the fans as they cheer their team on or hearing the team’s anthem as the players stride out onto the gridiron.
The NFL is a thrilling league to follow and has an army of fans around the world. If you’re looking for further reasons to get into the sport, watching a strategy come together for a team and the option to bet on games are two possible reasons you might wish to develop an interest in the NFL.
