Across our social media platforms, the Chargers brand has become instantly recognizable and a benchmark for digital engagement in the NFL, driven by a distinctive voice that blends team passion with playful charisma. However, as we looked to expand our audience, we saw an opportunity to connect with younger fans and women—groups that may not have deep NFL affiliations yet but could find a home with the Bolts.
TikTok has been a key platform in this effort, offering a dynamic, behind-the-scenes look into our world. It allows new and existing fans to engage with the team in a way that feels exclusive, entertaining, and authentic—giving them a reason to follow our journey and become part of the Chargers community. With a new coach and a wave of new players this season, we also prioritized content that familiarized fans with these fresh faces, helping them build connections with the team beyond just gameday.
The modern sports fan is diverse, spanning all demographics, interests, and levels of engagement. With this in mind, the Chargers TikTok strategy was designed to attract a broad audience, balancing content for dedicated football fans and casual viewers who might not even realize they love the sport—yet.
A key part of our execution was maintaining a diverse content calendar and a posting frequency of at least one video per day. This ensured a steady flow of engaging content, meeting fans where they are and keeping the Chargers top of mind. Our strategy was built around multiple content pillars, each designed to serve a different type of fan. We especially found success with these content series:
One of the biggest challenges in sports marketing is fan growth—so much of the NFL audience consists of generational fans, making it difficult to expand beyond the traditional base. Our TikTok strategy proved that there are new fans to convert; they just may not know they’re fans yet. Our top video of the year, which attracted a largely female and younger audience, demonstrated that the appetite for Chargers content goes beyond just football. This success reinforced an important industry shift: engagement isn’t just about catering to existing fans but actively creating new ones.
On an algorithm-driven platform like TikTok, sticking to only football-heavy content would have limited our reach. Instead, we embraced a broad, personality-driven approach to reach non-traditional football audiences. By balancing content for die-hard fans and those just discovering the team, we set a new benchmark for how sports franchises can grow their fanbase. Ultimately, our content isn’t just for a certain type of sports fan—it creates the modern sports fan.
At the start of the NFL season, we posted a fun, lighthearted video showing players old photos that we pulled from their social media pages. The video took off, racking up over 15 million views and 2 million engagements, with 65% of the audience being female and 40% in the younger demographic. Within weeks, nearly every NFL team joined in on the trend—and eventually, it even made its way to red carpets. This success perfectly showcases how our strategy not only drives results but also sets the precedent amongst sports social media.
