A Branded Content Strategy Expressed Through a New Homepage
Built on the idea that every sponsor needs a story, and every story needs a sponsor.
This is not a homepage redesign. It is a strategy — one that transforms the Heisman from an annual award announcement into a 365-day storytelling platform with five distinct franchises, a YouTube channel that functions as a media property, a Foundation with compelling stories to tell, and a sponsorship architecture with room to grow.
The homepage is shown first in In-Season mode — the primary experience during the college football season. A transition panel then explains the three targeted adjustments the platform makes in the Off-Season, when the Foundation leads. Scroll to compare them side by side.
The Heisman Has Five Distinct Content Franchises
The Heisman Trophy is one of the most recognized brands in American sports — with 90 years of stories, a living alumni network, a Foundation with real community impact, and a moment every December that stops the college football world. The content is already there. This strategy is about organizing it, platforming it, and connecting it to the brands that want to be part of it. What follows is a branded content strategy.
Weekly season content — leaderboards, performance breakdowns, contender profiles.
The announcement, the moment, the winner's story.
The Foundation's story — youth programs, scholarships, alumni mentorship in 47 cities.
Evergreen documentary storytelling — 91 winners, 91 stories. Ceiling: "The Trophy" — a prestige 3-episode series for Netflix or ESPN+.
Three shows — Heisman Conversations, Inside the Vote, The Saturday Story.
The Heisman has the stories, the archive, and the cultural weight to be a year-round presence on YouTube. YouTube is the gateway to the living room — a bigger Heisman presence there means a bigger Heisman presence everywhere. A subscribe CTA should be permanent — in the nav, in every section, in the footer.
$4.2M invested annually. 3,800+ students reached. 120+ Heisman alumni engaged. 47 cities. The Foundation’s work is extraordinary — and it’s a story that deserves to be told year-round, not just at the ceremony.
Five content franchises. Five distinct brand entry points. Every section is a named, ownable brand moment — and the platform serves different partners in-season and off-season.
Who Wins the Trophy?
Weekly contender rankings, performance breakdowns, and the stories behind the numbers.
▶ YouTube — The distribution layer for all five franchises. Subscribe to follow every story.
Watch the Stories
The 2026 Heisman Watch
The Heisman Legacy
The only two-time Heisman winner
One of the greatest seasons in college football history
First sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy
The 2025 Heisman Trophy Winner
The Heisman Podcast Network
Three shows. Every angle of the Heisman story. Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
In-depth interviews with Heisman winners, coaches, and voters.
How the Heisman is decided — the voters, the criteria, the debate.
The human stories behind the game — players, families, communities.
Five Ways to Own the Story
Weekly season content — leaderboards, performance breakdowns, contender profiles.
The announcement, the moment, the winner's story. The most-watched annual event in college football. The natural extension: "The Trophy" — a prestige documentary series telling the definitive history of the award Nissan already presents.
$4.2M invested annually. 3,800+ students. 47 cities. A mission-driven story with the reach and emotional pull to anchor the off-season content calendar.
Evergreen documentary storytelling — 91 winners, 91 stories. The deepest archive in college football.
Three shows — Heisman Conversations, Inside the Vote, The Saturday Story. EA Sports College Football 25 brought the Heisman back into the game.
The Off-Season Homepage
Below are the three key sections that shift when the platform moves into off-season mode. Everything else — the YouTube channel, the sponsor architecture, the podcast network, the brand entry points — remains constant.