Why this matters
The 2025/26 NFL season confirms a shift in how content reaches fans. Increases in volume, automation, and vertical formatting show that rights holders have moved to a model of speed and platform-native delivery.
Key takeaways
– Hyper-Density is Required: Rights holders now average 75.1 clips per matchup. This volume allows teams to cover multiple storylines simultaneously for every game.
– Automation is the Baseline: With a 69.9% automation rate, AI is the standard method for scaling production. It allows for a 31.5% increase in output without adding manual overhead.
– Vertical-First Strategy: 9:16 is now the majority format. Rights holders are prioritizing vertical video to reach the fans who discover content through social algorithms.
The data: vertical and automation
The most significant shift in the 2025/26 season was the move toward mobile-first delivery, evidenced by a 125.7% surge in 9:16 (Vertical) video. Vertical is now the lead format for fan engagement.
Rather than reformatting horizontal broadcast footage, rights holders are producing vertical content as the primary way to drive social discovery on TikTok and Reels.
This volume is supported by AI, which handled nearly 70% of all content this season. Rights holders produced 158,463 videos, a 31.5% increase, while keeping manual work constant.
This automation engine enables the 46.5% spike in post-game content speed; it allows clips to hit feeds the moment the game ends.
The game itself remains the main draw. Data shows a 44% growth in game-focused action. Fans prioritize high-stakes plays delivered in real-time over lifestyle or behind-the-scenes content.
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Tracking the Season’s Most-Clipped Players
While the final score remains the ultimate measure of a game, the way fans consume the NFL regular season has become increasingly player-centric. In a vertical-first ecosystem, individual "micro-moments", a signature throw from Josh Allen or a breakaway run by Saquon Barkley, act as the primary engagement hooks on social media.
By leveraging AI to automate clips for high-volume "story engines" like Patrick Mahomes and rising stars like Caleb Williams, rights holders can satisfy the demand for personalized content that follows a fan’s favorite player from the opening snap to the final whistle.
Below are the 30 players who dominated the digital conversation this season, representing the most-clipped athletes across the league:
- Josh Allen — Buffalo Bills
- Drake Maye — New England Patriots
- Matthew Stafford — Los Angeles Rams
- Jalen Hurts — Philadelphia Eagles
- Patrick Mahomes — Kansas City Chiefs
- Bo Nix — Denver Broncos
- Caleb Williams — Chicago Bears
- Trevor Lawrence — Jacksonville Jaguars
- Justin Herbert — Los Angeles Chargers
- Dak Prescott — Dallas Cowboys
- Baker Mayfield — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Sam Darnold — Minnesota Vikings
- Jordan Love — Green Bay Packers
- Jonathan Taylor — Indianapolis Colts
- Jared Goff — Detroit Lions
- Derrick Henry — Baltimore Ravens
- Bijan Robinson — Atlanta Falcons
- Aaron Rodgers — New York Jets
- James Cook — Buffalo Bills
- Bryce Young — Carolina Panthers
- Daniel Jones — New York Giants
- Jahmyr Gibbs — Detroit Lions
- De’Von Achane — Miami Dolphins
- Cameron Ward — Tennessee Titans
- Jaxson Dart — New York Giants
- Saquon Barkley — Philadelphia Eagles
- Lamar Jackson — Baltimore Ravens
- Christian McCaffrey — San Francisco 49ers
- Tua Tagovailoa — Miami Dolphins
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba — Seattle Seahawks
