Reaching Gen Z: The Super Bowl concert few people are talking about ๐
While Rihanna stole the show at Super Bowl LVII, a virtual concert by American Rapper Saweetie within Roblox opened the NFL up to a new, younger audience this weekend.
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Unless you have been living under a rock, youโre likely aware that Super Bowl LVII took place on Sunday.
While plenty tuned in to watch the Football as the Chiefs beat the Eagles, even more were expected to watch the Halftime show โ headlined by Rihanna.
Rihannaโs halftime show averaged 118.7 million viewers, per Fox, a 15% increase from the 103.4 million average audience for the 2022 halftime show featuring Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem - a show which went down as the most watched television event in the US last year.
However, there will also be a keen eye cast by the NFL on the viewership figures of another concert they hosted this past weekendโฆ
The concert in question?
A virtual concert featuring American rapper Saweetie which took place within Rhythm City, a virtual experience in Roblox created by Warner Music Group.

Premiering on Friday at 7pm ET, the concert aired every hour until Super Bowl Sunday. The NFL said that Saweetie would give a โfamily-friendly,โ fully motion-captured performance and sing her hit songs like โTap-In.โ The experience would also offer mini-games and social roleplaying experiences like becoming a musician and owning a house or car.
Fans who virtually attended the concert could also get digital items on the Roblox marketplace or win items by finishing challenges. That digital collection included wearable hairstyles, hats, boots, headphones, and sweatsuits, which are based on Saweetieโs merchandise and her album looks.
The NFL coincided the launch of Rhythm City with the returned launch of Super NFL Tycoon, which made its debut during the 2022 Super Bowl. This is an experience which allows users to pretend theyโre NFL team owners, draft a team and build a stadium. Cohesively bringing the two together, the NFL even provided a portal to let users can move between the two.

Craig Santicchia, Managing Director at Wolfpad Gaming, commented that โIt's great to see the event being integrated, linking music, sport, culture, and gaming.โ
More broadly, Santicchia believes that,
โThe NFL have had a smart and strategic approach to Roblox in general. With [previous activations from the NFL within Roblox such as] the NFL Quarter Back Simulator and [the original] NFL Tycoon experience generating 4.6 million and 8 million plays, respectively.โ
All these forays from the NFL into the metaverse highlight how the league is being โsmartโ and โforward-thinkingโ in their attempts to cater to a younger audience.
For context, Roblox has more than 58.8 million daily active users and nearly 80% of those users are under the age of 16.
โFor sports organizations, the metaverse provides a unique opportunity to reach a younger generation that may not engage with โtraditionalโ sports,โ Santicchia explains. โWith a combined spending power of $3.5 trillion by 2030, Gen Z is a valuable market.โ
This, however, is where the problem lies.
โOnly 53% of Gen Z consider themselves sports fans and only 1 in 4 will watch live sport regularlyโฆ Leveraging gaming and the metaverse, sports organizations can reach this audience and introduce themselves as more than just a sports franchise or rights holder.โ
โBy offering a complete entertainment experience that encompasses gaming, music, fashion, and product offerings, sports organizations can transform themselves into fully-fledged entertainment companies, much like Disney.โ
Alongside the NFL, another strong example of a rightsholder doing this is Manchester City. Thanks to some clever strategic partnerships they have forged, and the launch of their own Roblox experience called Blue Moon, โan audience that may never have played football now know about Man City.โ


To this audience, Santicchia suggests that,
โMan City could be a cool esports fashion brand that releases limited edition hoodies with FaZe Clan, or a lifestyle brand that releases comfy loungewear with Puma. It doesnโt always have to be about the sport you live in. Itโs about brand that you build.โ
Getting involved in the metaverse can be a complex and challenging journey. But it also presents a huge opportunity for brands and sports organizations to reach these new audiences and to create innovative experiences.
By understanding the importance of community and the convergence of sport and entertainment, brands and sports organizations can position themselves for success when they touchdown in the metaverse. All whilst becoming more culturally relevant in the process.
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Bonus Track
B**** Better Have My Money: Royalty-linked NFT sold out in minutes ahead of Rihannaโs Super Bowl Halftime Show ๐ค
Deputy, the music producer who collaborated to produce Rihanna's 2015 hit single "B**** Better Have My Money," has granted a portion of his streaming royalties to collectors through a series of 300 royalty-linked NFTs.
Selling out in minutes at $210 a piece, each holder will receive "a portion of 0.0033% of the streaming royalties" for the song. If Iโve done my maths right, I believe this equates to 1% of the total royalties of the hit single selling for $63,000.
Holders are expected to receive their first royalty pay out on the 16th of February, with payments then every six months based on streaming revenue. Given Dr Dre saw Apple music streams go up 500% after his halftime show last year, you could make a case for an uptick in streams of Rihannaโs back catalogue, especially for โB**** Better Have My Moneyโ, as she even opened her set with it.
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