• by Colin Kirkland , December 17, 2024

In anticipation of the professional Christmas Day football games streaming live on Netflix, the National Football League (NFL) is aiming to stoke engagement with younger viewers via a rewards-based gaming launch on Roblox.

Starting on December 17, Roblox users will be able to visit Netflix’s “Nextworld” universe, as well as the “NFL Universe Football” universe, created by Roblox developer Voldex, to take part in football challenges themed after Christmas Day matchups between the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans.

According to the NFL, players will be invited “to team up with friends and earn exclusive Christmas & NFL cosmetics, craft items, go on scavenger hunts, and more.”

Per the initiative, Netflix’s “Nextworld” universe – which originally launched in May and has since been host to various branded experiences – will feature an exclusive NFL-branded mini-game slated for December 19 with UGC items that users can earn through game play.

Upon partnering with the NFL in September, Voldex incorporated NFL intellectual property into its “Ultimate Football” game, which was then renamed “NFL Universe Football.” Users are now able to play six-vs-six matches on NFL-branded teams, or can choose to check out practice mode, trade gear at the trade hub, or play various match types in park mode.

The NFL was the first major sports league to develop a persistent experience on Roblox, with its 2022 launch of NFL Tycoon. The league then built off of this successful launch by partnering with Gamefam, Paramount and Nickelodeon to produce a limited-time holiday Roblox experience that became the No. 1 brand event on the gaming platform, with 75 million total visits.

When launching branded games on social platforms like Roblox, the NFL is focused on creating cross-platform, cross-game experiences that incorporate various media types and gaming universes. For example, when the league launched its Super Bowl and SpongeBob-themed minigames experience with Nickelodeon and Gamefam, Roblox users were asked to engage across previously established Gamefam-created worlds, including TMNT Battle Tycoon, Twilight Daycare and Easy Obby.  

Furthermore, the NFL has made a point to traverse platforms, partnering with Visa in 2022 to launch the NFL Zone in Roblox competitor Fortnite, where fans could take part in virtual tailgates and Visa-sponsored stadium and mini games.