Part of it was this year’s unique timing: The NFL moved the Pro Bowl closer to the Super Bowl for the first time, extending the week even further and increasing the number of opportunities for creators to get brand deals. “The creator activations and IRL experiences have deeply evolved,” Jason Tartick, founder and CEO of Rewired Talent Management (and, himself, a creator) told Digiday.

Some brands shelled out for Super Bowl suites this year (which the agencies Digiday spoke to said can cost upwards of $1 million) and invited creators to attend the game for free. This kind of partnership allows brands to buy sizable creators’ audiences at a much lower rate than if they were doing individual one-off partnerships, according to Rewired and Undescore, two talent agencies Digiday spoke with.

“There are a lot of variables based on influencer, target market, etc, but [one-off, individual activations at the Super Bowl] can run upwards of $200K for a mid-tier macro influencer,” said Scott Sutton, CEO of influencer marketing platform Later.

Brand-funded suites can become “a content suite,” Tartick said. “It’s a win-win.”

It gives creators access to the world’s biggest tentpole moments — even if it doesn’t come with direct pay. The exposure and experience make it a rare, one-off opportunity, stressed Nick Schlegel, director of talent of beauty, fashion and lifestyle at Underscore. “You really could call the Super Bowl a brand trip,” he said.

Tartick said Rewired’s Super Bowl-specific business grew by 25 percent year over year, with creators working with a wide variety of brands around the game, including Paris Baguette, Blacklane, Peroni, Instant Hydration, Captain Morgan, Seven Sundays, and The Knot. 

Rewired set up a house for its creators to stay and work at, including Instagram couple Chicklet and Maleni, lifestyle influencer The Daily Nelly, and Love Island stars Clarke Carraway and Taylor Williams. 

“You’re just seeing more and more IRL activations at these larger events,” said Abe Santos, partner and head of sports and outdoor lifestyle at Underscore Talent. “And I think a lot of these IRL activations are bringing more exposure to certain creators.”

Take lifestyle and beauty brands — now in force at the Super Bowl, hosting a variety of parties. That’s opened up more opportunities for lifestyle and beauty creators to get a slice of the pie — especially as the NFL has sought to diversify its viewership.

Sports and lifestyle creator Gabby Gonzalez told Digiday the “main brand” that brought her to San Francisco for the Super Bowl was Adobe, which tasked her with showcasing the Adobe Express app and its Super Bowl LX-themed templates. 

But Gonzalez had multiple activations over the three days she was there, including doing a “Get Ready With Me” video and photoshoot for Forever 21, participating in the Uber Eats experience, and making a recap video for the Parmigiano Reggiano event.

Creator Jacob Abrams Cohen grew his Instagram audience rapidly in October 2025, when he started doing daily “unexpected” 5K runs in bathtubs, while editing vlogs, or in a bush. Starting from almost nothing, he gained 170,000 followers within three months and was invited to participate in a brand activation by prediction market Kalshi.

Kalshi erected a “Kalshi Bowl” (large, translucent bowl into which bets and predictions were printed throughout the day), at San Francisco’s Pier 39. The company brought Cohen in to run a 5K around it.

Last-minute connects

On the ground, brands scramble to use up extra budget, or replace talent that may have backed out, or snag an opportunity to throw some clothes on a handful of creators they’ve just learned will be in attendance. “We were getting hit up by brands at the last minute all week,” said Santos, who heard from brands like Dockers, Adidas, and Forever 21.

That’s what happened with Cohen. He was already in San Francisco to run his Kalshi 5K, and was invited last-minute to attend an Adidas event and run around DJ Diplo’s set-up. 

Cohen told Digiday he made around $10,000 for his work over Super Bowl week, which he noted is a rate for a creator just starting off in this space.

Model and creator Vinnie Hacker also benefitted from a last-minute creator deal, Schlegel said, who manages Hacker. After walking in the Tom Brown GQ Bowl, Hacker was invited to the Cash App creator suite two days beforehand because the brand heard he was in town.

“This was the most lucrative Super Bowl we’ve had — the most creators, the most brand deals we’ve ever done at an event in a week. And you’re not even talking about a little bit more, I mean two, three, four times what we’ve typically seen,” said Santos, who did not provide specific figures.