Canada may not have its own NFL team, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming the NFL’s fourth-largest market. Still, engaging new and younger fans has posed challenges, for a couple different reasons.

For decades, Canadian fans have had to travel south of the border to experience tailgating events. The insight was simple: our target craved an environment north of the border that made them feel tapped into authentic NFL football culture.

But two other things are true: watching sports is always better together. And post-pandemic, Gen Z sports fans have been craving the kind of collective experiences they missed out on.

Which is why we created The Huddle — the first and only official bar of NFL Canada — to help NFL Canada build community with its younger audience and bring new fans into the mix.

For six nights of prime-time football at the start of the 2022-2023 season, we transformed a Toronto nightclub into an epic, NFL-themed watch party. A tailgate gaming zone, photo opps with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, appearances by NFL legends, and nightly prizing made The Huddle a destination for new and existing Gen Z football fans. So much so that we’re bringing The Huddle to more Canadians for the 2024-2025 season, with game night watch parties in Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto.