Sports journalists and analysts have struggled to understand exactly why the Denver Broncos are good after years of mediocrity.
Is Bo Nix improving? Is the defense dominating? Is the win streak just luck?
Or maybe — is it the rabid fanbase of “Umamusume: Pretty Derby”, a Japanese media franchise about anime horse girls?
OK, so what does 'Umamusume' have to do with the Denver Broncos?
"Umamusume" centers around anime girls with the ears, tails and racing capabilities of horses. While the franchise started with a mobile video game, it has since expanded to become an animated series, a graphic novel and even a stage play.
Earlier this year, "Umamusume" fans started to make highlight reels of Broncos games set to the theme song of "Umamusume." Interspersed between highlights of a pivotal Wil Lutz field goal or an elite play by Patrick Surtain II, the editors included clips from "Umamusume."
@its.a.shyday @Terms & Conditions @Ligma @Yoon #football #umamusumeprettyderby #uma #broncos #broncoscountry @ウマ娘プロジェクト(UMAMUSUME PROJECT) @Miles5280 @Denver Broncos @NFL ♬ original sound - its.a.shyday
The crossover between the NFL team and the anime franchise is surprising yet simple: 'Umamusume' and the Broncos are all about horses.
It’s the latest in a series of unexpected fanbase alliances. Recent examples include Swifties adopting the Kansas City Chiefs and streetwear enthusiasts adopting French soccer team Paris Saint-Germain.
Those fan edits have infected thousands of TikTok feeds, including Piper Ruth’s, a lifelong Denverite who grew up cheering for the Broncos.
“It was a mix of little videos of the characters in "Umamusume', like dancing or winning races, and the Broncos making really good passes or getting touchdowns or getting a field goal,” Ruth said.
The trend has reached the real world, too — at least one fan has dressed up in "Umamusume" horse girl cosplay and attended a game in person. (That one went for 64,000 likes.)
The Denver Broncos could not be reached for comment on the matter.
'Umamusume' (probably) isn’t impacting the Broncos’ play, but it is making the sport more accessible to casual fans.
Admittedly, the "Umamusume" fanbase has no tangible impact on Sean Payton’s playcalling. But Ruth said the connection is making it easier for people like her to follow along on the Broncos’ historic season.
Ruth grew up in a Broncos-supporting family, but her fandom never rose beyond the casual. That shifted after she began coming across "Umamusume" edits online.
“I've always rooted for the Broncos, but the Umamusume videos, I didn't go out searching for them, but they just showed up on my TikTok ‘for you’ page, and I started to look forward to watching them every week when we won, and it had me paying more attention to the games,” Ruth said.
@mace_lakage44 Someone Tell the @Denver Broncos they got new fans now 🤧😂🐴🎮 #denverbroncos #broncos #umamusumeprettyderby #footballtiktok #anime #animefyp ♬ original sound - its.a.shyday
Ruth said the videos help her and others speak the language of football, which the rest of her family is already fluent in.
“Now that I've seen those videos, I will actually sit down and watch a game on the TV with them. They know that I'm watching it because of the edits,” she said. “I'm looking forward to the wins — 50 percent because the edits are so fun to watch, and 50 percent I want my team to win.”
The Broncos have already clinched a spot in the NFL postseason, only their second since 2016, and they’re aiming much higher. Maybe all those "Umamusume" fans will give them a little more horsepower.
