The football season is almost over. The pads are off for most players, and the marketing helmet is being put on. With just one more game to play, we looked at the marketability of notable players in the upcoming Super Bowl, and some past MVPs of the game, through the lens of E-Score Celebrity.

The 2016 NFL season was amazing for many reasons. This year saw the rise of rookies like Dak Prescott (E-Score 60) and Ezekiel Elliott, whose 78 E-Score is the ninth highest among current NFL players and tops among rookies. This season also saw Drew Brees take over the top E-Score (88) among active players with the retirement of longtime title-holder Peyton Manning. We almost saw a Super Bowl between two top-six E-Scores, had Aaron Rodgers (E-Score 86 | #4) been able to hold off the Atlanta Falcons to meet Tom Brady (E-Score 82 | #6) in the big game.

Big Game Names

Although we are not getting the intriguing top-six E-Score matchup in the Super Bowl, we still have a compelling game between two very different teams. The upstart Atlanta Falcons are Exciting, their most notable attribute according to E-Score Brand, while the Super Bowl staple New England Patriots are A Leader and the “best team in NFL history,” according to several brand comments.

The marketability of players on the two teams is very different as well. We looked at the average E-Score of notable players on both teams, and the New England Patriots win the E-Score Bowl. Their average E-Score of 67 is 42% higher than Atlanta’s 47 average, largely aided by Brady’s 82 and Rob Gronkowski’s 77 E-Scores. While Gronk will not be able to affect the game due to injury, E-Score data suggests people believe the Falcons’ Julio Jones will have a major impact on the Super Bowl, as the multifaceted receiver is considered the most Dynamic and most Talented among this group. One person describes Jones saying, “He can really fly and I have found him to be very funny when I read some of his blogs.”

Brady’s Comeback

Offensive Rebound

One of the main storylines of the game is Tom Brady’s rebound from the 2015 Deflategate scandal.

Brady is proof that winning cures all in sports. His MVP caliber performance this year caused his overall E-Score (82) to rebound to pre-Deflategate numbers, from its all-time low of 50 following the ruling. The public’s perception of Brady is improving as well. Although still the least appealing notable player in this year’s Super Bowl with an Appeal score of 36%, his Appeal has increased 9 points since 2015. Comments about Brady have also improved. Back in 2015 Brady was described as a “cheater” by many, with one person saying, “Deflate gate has changed his reputation forever.” The latter turned out be false as people are now saying he, “Will go down as one of the great football players of all time,” and he is “Maybe the best quarterback ever.”

Super MVPs

Back to the Future: Past Super Bowl MVPs

Who the 2017 Super Bowl MVP will be is anyone’s guess, but one thing is certain, he will be entering an exclusive club. There have only been 51 Super Bowl MVPs in history (50 Super Bowls, but Super Bowl XII had two MVPs and five have won the award multiple times [Bart Starr-2, Terry Bradshaw-2, Joe Montana-3, Eli Manning-2, and Tom Brady-2.])  We looked at 25 past MVPs in E-Score Celebrity.

Becoming the MVP of the big game causes a bump in exposure, which can lead to a lucrative career after football. Many past MVPs have experienced a boost in their E-Score after their careers are over. Brett Favre is one of the most notable as his E-Score went from 80 during his last year playing, to 92 currently. This has led to a slew of endorsements for Favre. Endorsing products is one of the most common transitions for ex-MVPs. Past Super Bowl MVPs also make great broadcasters. Of the 21 past, non-active, Super Bowl MVPs in our database (there are four still active,) 12 are current or former NFL broadcasters. Terry Bradshaw leads this group with an E-Score of 96. Among the four still active, Drew Brees is best positioned to continue the marketing success of past MVPs.

Takeaway

With the end of the season in just one game, now is the perfect time to understand which NFL athletes have expanded their marketability in general, and among specific demographics. E-Score Celebrity tracks that marketability via a number of metrics including E-Score, attributes, and consumer comments. Get a better understanding of how this marketability can affect your bottom line.

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