American Legion posts that hosted watch parties are encouraged to share what worked, what didn’t and how National Headquarters can assist your efforts this December.
In 2024, The American Legion became the first veteran service organization to become an associate sponsor of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA in the first year of a multi-year partnership.
That sponsorship in 2024 resulted in millions of viewers and thousands of those in attendance learning more about The American Legion and, just as critical, the organization’s Be the One veteran suicide prevention program.
Just some of the numbers that were a result of the Legion’s associate sponsorship of “America’s Game”:
· 4 million — Estimated number of people who saw The American Legion commercials in selected local markets with strong military populations.
· 593,000 — Viewers who saw The American Legion ad on Instagram and other social media channels.
· 214 — Minimum number of veterans who joined The American Legion directly from seeing the ad. (Note: Total is likely 30-40% higher to reflect those who saw the ad but joined later through a different link.)
· 65,000+ — Fans attending the game who saw The American Legion’s Be the One truck and learned about the mission to prevent suicide by veterans and servicemembers.
· 18 — Media interviews conducted by American Legion Government Affairs Executive Director Mario Marquez and former Army Green Beret and professional football player Nate Boyer. Organizations included Fox News, Sirius XM, CBS Eye on Veterans, Task & Purpose (which also featured the Legion in this story) and more.
· 61,243,431 — Potential audience reach of the six military media outlets that interviewed Marquez and Boyer.
But the success didn’t just occur at the national level. Across the nation, American Legion posts opened up their doors to host watch parties for the game. It provided an opportunity to share information about the American Legion Family, the organization’s programs and advocacy, and even getting the word out about the Legion’s Be the One veteran suicide prevention mission.
The latter was the case in North Platte, Neb., where P.R. Halligan Post 163 teamed up with Brothers Tavern to host a watch party that also served as a chance for Post 163 to raise awareness about Be the One. Nebraska District 5 Commander Geoff Florom spent part of the game’s halftime sharing Be the One’s mission with those in attendance.
“The Army-Navy Game presented an incredible opportunity to share information about The American Legion and specifically the Be the One campaign because of the audience it brings together,” said Florom, commander of Sons of The American Legion Squadron 163. “This event is a powerful tradition that unites veterans, active-duty servicemembers and supporters from all branches of service. It’s a time when people reflect on sacrifice, service and the values that bind us as a military community.
“Sharing the mission of Be the One during halftime allowed me to reach individuals who not only care deeply about these issues but are also in a position to make a difference.”
Similar watch parties took place in various states across the nation; posts are encouraged to plan similar efforts this year to take pride in The American Legion’s involvement in the game, interact with their communities and raise awareness about all the Legion Family does on the local and national level.
A toolkit hosting a 2025 watch party is in the works and will be available here for download once it is completed. But we’d like to get your feedback as to what worked, what didn’t work and what else we could have provided for your local watch party. National Headquarters wants to provide the tools to assist or improve efforts to raise awareness about The American Legion’s involvement with the Army-Navy Game at the post level.
Please email sbrooks@legion.org to share how your watch party went, how many people attended, what was the biggest assistance by National Headquarters and how we can do better this year supporting your efforts. Please also include photos from your event that we can share as the game gets closer and we begin promoting post watch parties.
- Be the One