Are You Ready for Some Football?
The end of summer is approaching.
Kids are going back to school.
Our air conditioning units won’t be running 24/7 for much longer.
But do you know the best part?
Football is back.
The first game of the National Football League (NFL) preseason is already in the books, and the real games start in about a month.
Last year, the NFL averaged 17.5 million viewers per game, which is 2 million more than in 2020.
The growth isn’t where we most expect it.
57% of American women tuned into an NFL game last season, which is a big jump from the 51% in 2020.
And the NFL’s leap into international markets is also paying off.
Over 60 million people watched the Super Bowl outside the United States, which was 10% higher than the game in 2024.
The best way to profit from the growth in the NFL is to own an NFL team.
Unfortunately, you’ll need to find a few billion dollars in your couch cushions to afford one.
Don’t worry, because there are plenty of other ways to make money on the growth of the NFL.
Flutter Entertainment (ticker: FLUT) may not sound like the type of company for football.
But Flutter Entertainment is the parent company of FanDuel, which is the largest online sports betting company in the United States with about 44% of the market share.
Sports gambling is huge for football as fans can bet on the outcome of the games as well as on individual player statistics.
And the online gambling market is growing like crazy.
Over the last decade, Flutter Entertainment’s revenue has averaged 14% growth every year.
Disney (ticker: DIS) is more than just princesses and pirates.
Disney owns ESPN, the largest sports media company in the world.
And ESPN is going to make an even larger bet on the NFL.
ESPN is looking to buy the NFL Network as well as the NFL RedZone, two very popular TV stations for NFL fans.
Plus, ESPN doesn’t just do television.
ESPN runs one of the best fantasy sports sites, which is very popular with NFL fans who run their fantasy leagues.
Disney’s large bet on the NFL gives it a 9.5% profit margin, one of the highest among media companies.
When Disney gets more involved in the NFL, its profit margin will be even higher.
Watching a lot of football can be inspiring to young fans.
All of those new fans will be lining up at DICK’s Sporting Goods (ticker: DKS), the largest sporting goods retailer in the United States.
DICK’s sells everything a football fan might need including jerseys, hats, and even pads, helmets, and cleats for fans wanting to take a shot on the field.
And DICK’s profitability is incredible.
DICK’s Return on Equity (ROE) has been over 40% every year for the past 5 years.
Football season is on its way, and you don’t need billions of dollars to profit from the NFL.
Who’s your favorite NFL team? Hopefully not too many Titans and Browns fans among us!
