Few platforms command attention and emotional loyalty like sports. Games still unfold in real time, with fans watching together—one of the shrinking number of mass-reach environments that reliably cut through the noise. The American Cancer Society has quietly built one of the most deliberate partnership portfolios in the nonprofit sector around that fact. It is not simply raising awareness during marquee cultural moments like the Super Bowl. It is transforming sports into a lever that changes health behavior at scale.
“Forty percent of cancers are preventable with lifestyle changes,” says Shane Jacobson, CEO of the American Cancer Society. “That staggering statistic from Cancer Statistics 2025 is central to the strategy. Cancer outcomes shift when people get screened and adopt healthier habits. Sports provide a culturally resonant way to reach, educate, and motivate audiences who may tune out traditional health messaging.”
The NFL partnership, Crucial Catch, illustrates how that model works. The collaboration spans live reads, stadium messaging, and digital engagement tools, such as cancer risk assessments and screening facility locators. Jacobson notes, “We can see activity peaks when our tools and resources are promoted during the football season. Because sports are often watched live, the American Cancer Society can link broadcast triggers to viewer engagement. By looking at this data, the connection between message and action can be measured.”
The next step is translating awareness into action. NFL funding goes directly to the league’s 32 markets and supports clinics and health systems that provide screening tests to people living in under-resourced areas. The American Cancer Society tracks those screening outcomes annually. It is not just views and clicks—they measure screening rates, patients reached, and diagnosed cancers.
Corporate partners amplify the impact. Novartis committed $5 million to Crucial Catch this year. Sleep Number sponsors the risk assessment tool. These are not vanity partnerships. They deliver brand lift, employee wellness benefits that reduce internal healthcare costs, and a demonstration of corporate citizenship to increasingly health-focused consumers and investors.
After nearly two decades, the partnerships continue to evolve. Strategy and messaging are guided by the American Cancer Society’s annual Cancer Statistics report. When screening rates plunged during the COVID-19 pandemic, they focused on getting people back on track with regular screening appointments.
As the American Cancer Society continues refining its strategy with sports leagues, corporate partners, platforms, and athletes, its approach reveals a broader truth: nonprofits can no longer rely on passive awareness. They must compete for attention like brands—and win.
On Super Bowl Sunday, fans often discuss and debate play-calling and MVPs. The American Cancer Society will be watching the results of something else entirely: who takes the risk assessment tool, finds an accessible screening location, and schedules the appointment that may change the trajectory of their life.
This article was originally published in February 2026 and has been updated for continued relevance.
