Tracy Perlman started working for the NFL 20 years ago, when the Internet was a government project and NFL Sunday Ticket was something that got you into a game. How things have changed. “It was almost like a family business,” Perlman said.
With the NFL now as much a media business as a football-event company, marketing is considerably more hand-in-glove. Perlman is the one integrating the NFL with the rest of the entertainment scene. “We want to be so embedded that it’s authentic,” she said. Like when you turn on “The Office” and they’re playing NFL fantasy football. Or when NFL stars like Drew Brees and Tim Tebow appear on “The Biggest Loser.”
The Super Bowl halftime concert, another staple that didn’t exist when Perlman started, has become her oeuvre. U2’s poignant 9/11 tribute at Super Bowl XXXVI and Prince’s unforgettable set, delivered in a driving rainstorm, at Super Bowl XLI (he closed with “Purple Rain”) are her favorites. “Prince appeared in Pepsi’s ad for the show, and U2 gave us access to their music beforehand,” she said. “They both gave great shows and sold lots of music afterwards. Cooperation can take something as big as [the] Super Bowl and make it even bigger.’’
— Terry Lefton
