“Once in a Lifetime”: Inside Verizon’s Historically Ambitious Super Bowl FanFest

Next month, telecoms giant Verizon is set to celebrate Super Bowl LIX with a first-of-its-kind experience. Across 30 different NFL markets, the doors of stadiums including MetLife, SoFi, Nissan Stadium and more will open to thousands of fans for a truly nationwide ‘FanFest’. 

On the day, those fans will be able to enjoy food and beverages from locally-owned small businesses, take part in meet and greets with local football heroes, and watch live local music acts. At the same time, interactive experiences and unique football fan experiences are on offer for attendees. The events will be open to any and all Verizon customers – and they’ll even be able to bring along a select number of guests. 

To find out more about the initiative, LBB’s Adam Bennett caught up with Verizon’s head of partnerships, Nick Kelly. 

“We always go big and bold for the Super Bowl. And this year, we wanted to go bigger than ever”, he says. “The Super Bowl is practically a national holiday, but very few people actually get to experience the Super Bowl live in the stadium. So, we decided to do something that has never been done before and bring all the magic of the Super Bowl to fans across the country, putting customers and fans at the heart of the biggest simultaneous party ever.”

If that sounds ambitious, it’s a fair reflection of the team’s approach. It’s a huge endeavour, essentially organising multiple stadium-wide parties on the same day, each with its own highly individual and localised flavour. For a brand that’s all about connection, it was an irresistible opportunity for Verizon to take ownership of. 

“Verizon powers how people live and play, through our network, products and services”, says Nick. “FanFest is the perfect representation of that. We’re leveraging the power of our sponsorships, national and local partnerships across the country, along with the unmatched strength of the Verizon network in stadiums and venues, to put our customers at the center of this unique experience.” 

In fact, the brand’s press release claims that only Verizon would be able to pull off a Super Bowl event of this scale and complexity. “Bringing the Super Bowl experience to all 30 NFL markets is something only Verizon can do. Verizon’s long-term partnership with the NFL, teams, and venues is what makes something of this scale possible,” explains Nick. “Plus, because of our deep commitment to the communities Verizon powers, we are uniquely positioned to offer this once-in-a-lifetime experience for the customers we know and serve every day.”

Local Heroes

The point about each event feeling truly ‘local’ is something that Nick and the teams at Verizon clearly wanted to take seriously. Each event will have food served up by local vendors, with music coming from local artists. 

“The local FanFests were designed to honour and celebrate the unique identity of each NFL team's fans, community, and history. By incorporating the region's distinctive music, food, and local NFL legends, we set out to create a personalised experience that resonates deeply with the community,” Nick tells LBB. “This approach not only highlights the rich culture and spirit of each area, but also strengthens the sense of connection and pride among fans. It’s about bringing communities together to celebrate football in a way that feels authentic, memorable, and truly one-of-a-kind.”

As for whether this FanFest is truly going to be a one-off – or if it could be the beginning of something more regular, Nick is coy. “Only time will tell, but this year, we’re focusing all our energy on delivering 30 simultaneous experiences that are not only exceptional, but also tell unique, localised stories in ways we’ve never done before”, he says. 

All eyes, then, are on the day itself. “Our team will be on the ground at events across the country”, says Nick. “Personally, I’m most excited about bringing our customers together to watch the Super Bowl like never before, with all their favourite local food spots, NFL legends, music, and tons of fun games.”