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Exact wording and full context of the Brand USA quote on marketing the NFL calendar
Brand USA knows that major NFL events like the Super Bowl drive measurable increases in international travel to the United States. Viewers based outside the U.S. rose 10% between 2023 and 2024, and the 2026 game attracted an estimated 90,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area, including international markets.
Despite this, the organization does not run campaigns that explicitly reference the NFL schedule or events. “It’s difficult for us to go out and market the NFL calendar to international markets even though we know it’s act,” a Brand USA representative stated in recent remarks reported by Skift.
The limitation stems from Brand USA’s role as the nation’s official destination marketing arm. Its mandate focuses on promoting U.S. travel experiences broadly rather than specific commercial sports properties. The NFL maintains tight control over its branding, intellectual property, and calendar, which restricts third-party use in destination marketing without formal licensing arrangements.
Brand USA has pursued partnerships with the NFL in select markets, such as serving as lead partner in the UK and Ireland and presenting partner for London Games. These collaborations allow tie-in campaigns that link game excitement to U.S. destinations but stop short of direct NFL promotion.
Similar constraints appear in other destination marketing efforts worldwide, where sports leagues’ proprietary rights limit how tourism boards can leverage events for broader visitation goals.
