The Super Bowl has embraced creators as the NFL looks to expand the audience for the game.The league is bringing a host of creators to New Orleans and partnering with platforms like YouTube.Brands are also looking for new ways to include creators in their Super Bowl marketing.Influencers are everywhere at the Super Bowl this week as brands consider the game a key fixture of culture and entertainment.The NFL plans to host over 150 creators in New Orleans for the big game, from local names to international figures, Ad Age reported. YouTubers Kai Cenat and Darren Jason Watkins Jr., known online as IShowSpeed, are set to lead a flag football game with creators like Carter Kench and Matthew "MMG" Meagher and other big names on the Saturday before the main event,YouTube announced.The Super Bowl embraced content creators in a big way last year as part of a growing partnership between the NFL and YouTube. It came as YouTube started streaming the NFL's Sunday Ticket package in 2023.This year, influencers in sports, fashion, gaming, and other niches are getting involved again to connect with Gen Z and other young audiences. The NFL is expanding its partnerships with social platforms, including working with Snapchat. And brands are looking for new ways to include creators in their Super Bowl marketing."By working with influencers and creators, you're meeting the audience where it is," said Alex Sheinman, cofounder and talent manager at the Snapback Agency, which works with content creators and athletes. "If I'm on Instagram or TikTok, the NFL is now coming to where I am That's why it's so powerful."How the NFL is working with platforms like YouTube and SnapchatSnapchat struck a new partnership with the NFL this year that will bring some of its creators to the Super Bowl. Snapchatters such as Katie Austin, Ross Smith, Jack Mancuso, and Treasure Wilson are set to get access behind the scenes and to special augmented-reality lenses created with the NFL, Snapchat said.The platform prioritized creators in areas other than football, such as fitness, food, lifestyle, fashion, and entertainment. The NFL was looking to include creators who aren't exposed to the league so it "can kind of drive new fandom," Anmol Malhotra, head of sport and media partnerships for Snapchat's parent company, told BI."Our goal was to capture the casual fan," Malhotra said. "The person who may not know who Patrick Mahomes is, that Travis Kelce is dating Taylor Swift, or who Jalen Hurts is, but can relate to a tailgate."YouTube is also expanding its partnership with the NFL. In addition to the flag football game, YouTube is hosting a tailgate concert headlined by rapper Post Malone. Several top YouTube creators will also be creating content from New Orleans.Influencers are high on the list for brand activations and sponsorshipsInfluencers are also showing up in traditional TV ads during the game. TikTok influencer Alix Earle is in ads from Carl's Jr. and Poppi. Poppi's ad also features creators like Jake Shane and Rob Rausch.Major brands like Gatorade and Verizon are inviting influencers to their activations around the Super Bowl and incorporating them into their marketing strategies around the game again this year, as well.For example, Gatorade is on the ground with athletes like Caitlin Clark and George Kittle and influencers like The Pointer Brothers and Katie Feeney for its Gatorade Lab activation. And, Verizon's activation will feature influencer Tineke Younger, who will host a brunch and cook her favorite Super Bowl dishes, as well as designer Kristin Juszczyk, who will showcase her designers.Still, some in the influencer industry said they noticed a dip in the number of brand activations and opportunities compared to last year's game. That's in part because there's more limited space for these activations in New Orleans compared to last year's Super Bowl host."There's definitely still stuff going on, but it's just a noticeable dip," Jack Settleman, a sports content creator and CEO of Snapback Agency's sister company, Snapback Sports, told BI.Settleman is doing brand work with Crown Royal while in the Big Easy. He has been to the Super Bowl several times and witnessed it embrace creators firsthand. He went from having to sneak his way into Radio Row to having his own booth among the media outlets on the convention center floor."The NFL has absolutely embraced creators," said Settleman. "As a creator, it's really exciting to see those opportunities."With a wide audience tuning in for the big game, spanning generations, partnering with content creators is an easy way for these brands and the NFL to appeal to everyone and get content directly to specific audiences that may be outside the traditional football fandom."The NFL is seeing more new fans than ever before," Emily Boido, head of consumer engagement for Gatorade, told BI. "By partnering with a wide variety of influential voices in and around the sport, we have the opportunity to reach these expanding audiences in a way that's authentic to the brand."