This week, Alyssa Nakken of the San Francisco Giants became the first woman to coach on the field during an MLB game. Meanwhile, across the country, another woman is breaking barriers in a different sport. Katie Feeney, who has gathered a following of millions with her videos on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, has signed a one-year deal as the official “social media correspondent” of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
Feeney’s short-form vlogs, challenges, and reactions have brought her 6.8 million followers on TikTok as well as 2.2 million subscribers on YouTube. The 19-year-old creator has studied sports broadcast journalism at Penn State and has cultivated a career in that field. In a statement, she spoke of her “passion for storytelling and broadcast sports journalism,” which is an appealing combination for any NFL organization looking to increase its social media clout.
Feeney is a Maryland native and a lifelong fan of Washington’s football team, which has undergone multiple name changes in recent seasons. The deal between the social media star and the burgundy-and-gold-clad squad is “believed to be the first of its kind in the NFL,” according to a post on the Commanders’ website.
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Feeney will use both her personal social accounts and the ones operated by the Commanders to provide behind-the-scenes looks during major events on the NFL calendar. She will cover the upcoming NFL Draft, as well as pre-season camps, media days, and “select home games.” The plan is for Feeney to provide “a youthful perspective that will reach new eyes and ears,” according to Commanders’ Chief Creative & Digital Officer Will Misselbrook.
For Feeney, who is managed by The Network Effect, NFL coverage is becoming a steady gig. She attended Super Bowl 56 on YouTube’s behalf and posted short-form content before, during, and after the game. Though she pulled for the Bengals in their losing effort, she made it clear where her rooting interests lie when she got the chance to meet Commanders tight end Logan Thomas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scv_Fz3ydyo
Commanders fans will get their first look at the team’s new social media correspondent when Feeney attends the Commanders Draft Party at FedEx Field on April 28. By then, the 90-year-old NFL franchise may be in need of some good PR. It was recently accused of breaching league rules by withholding ticket revenue. Perhaps an exciting young face can reinvigorate the team with her appealing approach to online video.
