While NFL football has long been considered an American game, the audience is increasingly coming from all corners of the globe, and one of the hottest markets for both the league and its advertisers is the Latino audience.
Marissa Solis is NFL senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing, and she's among those focused on capturing the game's international audience.
"The NFL is definitely paying attention," she said. "They were before and they definitely are now."
Her research shows the U.S. Latino viewership grew by 11% last year alone, and 70% of Latinos surveyed said they consider themselves NFL fans.
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"The power and influence that the Latino community represents is awesome for the league and for the sport," Solis said.
On Tuesday, the NFL held a panel discussion to talk about that influence with Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz and Diana Flores. She's the captain and quarterback of the Mexican national flag football team who took the U.S. by storm with last year’s Super Bowl commercial.
"To represent my country, to represent the Latino community, to represent women in sports, women in football, I think we sent a message of unity, a message of women empowerment," Flores said.
Munoz is a second generation American and said spotting Latino surnames on the backs of jerseys has a big influence on fans.
"I was left tackle. Max Montoya was right guard. He went to UCLA, and I went to USC. He’s from La Puente in East Los Angeles. It's something I continue to look to see how many Latinos are in the NFL," Munoz said.
Munoz applauds San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner for wearing the Mexican flag on the back of his helmet to honor his heritage.
