By Frank Pingue
(Reuters) – Screaming at a TV during a game without getting a reply is par for the course for hardcore National Football League fans but that can change if they join former players for interactive watch parties during Sunday’s Super Bowl.
When the hometown Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals battle it out on the NFL’s biggest stage, around 24 former players will be turning the cameras around on themselves and inviting fans into their living rooms.
The concept of a live complement to the main Super Bowl broadcast lets fans ask players questions about almost anything and is part of a partnership between the NFL Alumni Association and Canadian company Millions.co.
Matt Wilhelm, a consultant in business development who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers during his eight-year NFL career, will be one of the players hosting a watch party on Sunday and called the concept a great chance to engage fans.
“Sometimes your ability to put out content as a former player is very time consuming and you have to be very consistent to grow a following,” Wilhelm told Reuters. “In this case Millions.co gives us the opportunity to use their platform to directly connect with the fans in an ongoing game.”
According to Millions.co the vast majority are paid anywhere between $500 and $10,000 for hosting a Super Bowl watch party.
For Tyrone Poole, a former cornerback who won two Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots during his 12 NFL seasons, taking part in the watch parties is a chance to give back to the fans.
“To allow the fans and the people who want to learn more about the game to have access,” Poole said when asked why he wanted to host a Super Bowl watch party.
“Some people don’t have the luxury to sit and have an open conversation with someone that they may have played with on a video game or watched from a seat in the stadium.
“Those are the reasons why I do it.”
Chris Brantley, who spent two seasons in the NFL with the Rams and Buffalo Bills, said he is not trying to parlay his watch party gig into a role as a pundit with a major network but also is not against the idea.
“It looks like a lot of fun but I know it’s also a lot hard work and I have a full time job right now,” said Brantley, who works in marketing. “But if somebody approached me about that I would definitely consider it because it looks like a lot of fun.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Christian Radendge)
