Creators are ready for some football, and a firm backed by the Dallas Cowboys is leading the way

The 2023-24 NFL season was a chance for media companies to transform the nature of football coverage. A year later, the 2024-25 is going to be for the fans.

That’s the gameplan for GameSquare, the Frisco, Texas-based media company backed by the Dallas Cowboys. With week one kickoff just a month away, GameSquare has announced NFL 4 The Fans Live, a creator-led roadshow that will travel across the country to generate gameday excitement among football aficionados.

4 The Fans Live will be a multi-city series, with each installment broken down into segments. Through a mix of in-person and streamed content, GameSquare’s project will bring together players, fans, and prominent personalities for some good-natured competition.

“The NFL believes GameSquare will be instrumental in broadening our engagement with new and existing audiences,” said Ed Kiang, VP of Video Gaming for the NFL, in a statement. “We are excited to see what GameSquare has in store as they bring the NFL 4 The Fans Live creator roadshow to life during the 2024 NFL season.”

GameSquare, which acquired the notable gaming and entertainment organization FaZe Clan last October, is one of several media companies that is harnessing its NFL ties to get a toehold in what is shaping up to be a landmark season for digital football content. Two major factors have accelerated the NFL’s growth online: The rise of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals has created opportunities to turn athletes into influencers

, and YouTube’s success with the NFL Sunday Ticket package has created an association between football viewership and digital platforms.

Creators like Deestroying (a one-time FaZe Clan partner) have already taken advantage of that rising trend, which is set to explode in the coming months. Platforms like Reddit have inked partnerships with the NFL, legendary coach Bill Belichick has teamed up with Underdog Fantasy (a regular sponsor of YouTube’s top creators) for a new football show, and the league itself has gotten in on the fun by uploading each franchise’s schedule announcement video.

GameSquare is perfectly positioned to leverage its Cowboys ties and make 4 The Fans Live into a gameday ritual. The only thing that could make the upcoming NFL season more exciting is if my New York Jets could finally make another run to the Super Bowl, but I might have to wait a few more years (or decades, or centuries) before that dream comes to fruition.