Chinese National Football League (NFL) fans and rock enthusiasts found themselves seated next to each other in pubs last Thursday night.

What brought them together was NFL China Blitz, a 16-episode program on CCTV 5 featuring Taiwan rock band May Day and Ding Dang, a female pop singer from Zhejiang province.

The pop idols spent 10 days in the US filming the show, went to a stadium to watch the game and learn the basics of the sport.

"We were so excited to be at the stadium. All the fans were cheering for their team and we couldn't help getting involved, just like singing at a concert," Ashin, May Day's lead singer said during the launch ceremony of NFL China Blitz, in Beijing last week.

"And it's not that difficult to learn the rules. If you can sing our songs, you can understand the game," he said.

When the singer threw a signed ball into the crowd, frenetic supporters scrambled for it with no less effort than American professional players do in a Super bowl final.

NFL seeks to improve the visibility of its game through cooperating with musical stars, said Michael Stokes, the managing director of NFL China.

"May Day have millions of fans in China, young people sing their songs and love them very much. They are naturally getting familiar with the sport while learning about their idol's NFL trip on TV every week," Stokes said.

"It's a very effective way to engage casual fans and present a complicated sport to them in a manner they can understand."

NFL China Blitz is aired every Thursday night on CCTV 5 at 11:30 pm, followed by an educational show about American football at 00:30 am.

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