National Football League Launches Draft-Inspired Innovation Challenge to Advance the Future of Fan and Event Technology

The National Football League today announced the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowdsourcing initiative under the NFL Innovation Hub designed to advance how the league evaluates impactful technology across the fan journey, local engagement and global event experience. Open to individuals, teams, startups and established companies with proven demos or market-ready products, the challenge invites innovators to present minimum viable product (MVP)‑ready solutions that enhance the fan and event experience and advance the league’s OnePass App ecosystem. Applicants can register starting Feb. 27 for the opportunity to work alongside the NFL to advance their solutions.

The NFL Draft Innovation Challenge provides the opportunity to a select group of top innovators to advance through virtual qualifiers before culminating in on‑site presentations with a judging panel and high‑profile recognition during NFL Draft Week, with continued engagement beyond the Draft through post‑event discovery and potential proof‑of‑concept opportunities. The initiative reflects the NFL’s commitment to innovation as a strategic capability.

“The NFL Draft Innovation Challenge represents how we are maturing innovation at the league level,” said Gary Brantley, SVP and chief information officer at the National Football League. “Just as the Draft evaluates talent through discipline, data, and long-term fit, this initiative applies that same rigor to technology. We are focused on identifying solutions that are scalable, secure and capable of enhancing the fan experience across every touchpoint—from local markets to global events. Innovation at the NFL is not experimental for experimentation’s sake; it is intentional, operational and built to perform at scale.”

The challenge will focus on three strategic areas aligned with the NFL’s digital and business priorities that help transform the OnePass App:

• Fan Journey and Personalization: Adaptive experiences that respond to fan behavior.

• Local Monetization and Commerce: Sponsor‑ready, localized offers that drive new revenue.

• Event Discovery and Global Engagement: Tools that elevate NFL events worldwide and deepen cross‑border engagement.

Participants will advance through a four‑phase, virtual Draft-themed evaluation process: Scouting (Apply), Combine (Finalist Selection), War Room (Virtual Qualifier) and Draft Day (Recognition), designed to rigorously evaluate real‑world applicability and technical readiness with the NFL’s OnePass ecosystem.

The NFL Draft Innovation Challenge is part of the NFL Innovation Hub’s broader mission to responsibly explore emerging technologies, support builders and partners and drive measurable impact across the league’s global footprint.

Additional details, including submission criteria and timelines, are available at nfl.com/partners/innovation-hub.

About the NFL Technology Innovation Hub

The NFL Technology Innovation Hub serves as a collaborative think tank where NFL‑submitted ideas are reviewed through a structured, cross‑departmental process and the most strategically aligned concepts are developed into MVPs for executive review. Through NFL‑led events, the Hub engages fans by showcasing the end‑to‑end journey of how ideas are conceived, developed and deployed in real‑time experiences.