N.F.L. Hones Message for Its Female Fans

Natalie Kitroeff, author of the article, address the efforts to engage female viewers by broadening their marketing strategies. Overall, according to Kitroeff, "the N.F.L.’s goal is to convert casual fans, a category that describes the majority of female football watchers, into die-hards."

In the beginning of the article, Kitroeff gives an example of the Dallas Cowboys franchiseplacing a Victoria Secret in the stadium for women to by underwear and bras with the Cowboy's logo. Although appealing to women's desire for individualized football undergarments, women want to have the pleasure of owning something authentic such as a player's jersey. Kerry Ann Sullivan, a 39 year old woman, commented on how she likes the authentic player jerseys, “I want to wear the colors of the team — I don’t want to wear a softened up version of it.” After hearing the majority of women's opinions regarding player jerseys, football franchises and the NFL are now making jerseys in women sizes with the team's colors and not with pink dominating the jersey. Next, Kitroeff mentions the use of women in marketing. The NFL has produced several commercials with females as the prominent roles as well as football players and their mothers. However, a big concern with the NFL is the safety. Many females are concerned that the players are playing too "rough" and causing many injuries. The NFL has also produced several commercials promoting football safety in the NFL to calm concerning mother and female viewers. 

Overall, Kitroeff uses  facts and quotations to examine the change of the NFL. As females become a larger part of the football fan base, the NFL must combat the issues regarding the safety of the players. 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/sports/football/nfl-hones-message-for-its-female-fans.html?ref=sports