Expanding its coverage of American football’s elite NFL, the Sports Illustrated Tickets (SIT) operator has struck a new fan engagement-focused tie-up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise.
As the official fan experience partner of the two-time Super Bowl champions, SIT will bring several co-branded fan-focused activations to the team’s 69,218-capacity Raymond James Stadium home.
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SIT will gain prominent branding inventory across the venue, including signage on LED hoardings, among other visible assets.
This brand partnership also includes the ‘Faces in the Crowd’ activation, which will see cameras used in-venue to capture fan reactions mid-game, converting those images into digital collectables utilizing the iconic branding of the Sports Illustrated publication.
That activation will launch on September 20 with the Buccaneers’ opening home game of the 2026-27 season against the Cleveland Browns.
Speaking on this new partnership, SIT chief marketing officer Joe Flores commented: “Sports Illustrated has a rich history of capturing the people, passion, and moments that make sports unforgettable.
“Through Faces in the Crowd, we’re bringing that legacy directly to fans and giving them the opportunity to become part of the Sports Illustrated story. We’re thrilled to expand this experience across the NFL through our partnership with the Buccaneers and celebrate the fans who make gameday at Raymond James Stadium so special.”
Buccaneers chief commercial officer Atul Khosla added: “We are always looking for new ways to enhance the gameday experience and create memorable moments for our fans.
“Sports Illustrated Tickets’ Faces in the Crowd gives fans a unique way to capture their gameday experience and turn it into a lasting keepsake that celebrates their connection to the Buccaneers.”
Back in 2024, David Lane, the chief executive of Sports Illustrated Tickets, spoke to Sportcal about how fan-focused partnerships such as this are the way forward for the brand.
At the time, he said: “The opportunity for us to work with the individual teams in the US is really where we can start to help improve the fan experience. We can do things that normal ticketing companies would not, because of our 70-year history.”
Since then, the firm has embarked on an NFL sponsorship spree, and now covers almost a fifth of all teams in the NFL.
Indeed, the Buccaneers are the sixth such franchise that SIT is engaged with, following similar fan engagement deals with the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Washington Commanders.
The firm also supported the likes of the Commanders and the Miami Dolphins for their international games in Spain in past seasons, and this year will aid the Patriots in that team’s own international game in the German market.
Furthermore, SIT is partnered with the NFL itself as an officially licensed ticket vendor through the league’s “open” ticketing system, NFL Ticket Network.
