How the NFL Is Winning Over International Fans
Fans could check out replica lockers designed like those at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and put on shoulder pads and helmets; step up to a podium in front of a branded backdrop, just like at a press conference; and get their photo taken with the club’s Super Bowl LVII Lombardi Trophy.
Photo: Courtesy of Chiefs.com
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This season, the NFL played five regular-season games in London and Frankfurt to great fanfare, building upon its growing international markets.
Over the last few years, the league has hosted games in Munich, London, and Mexico City, and is currently reviewing Spain and Brazil as possible future hosts. (In the U.K. and Ireland, there are reportedly 14.3 million American football fans, while Germany boasts 18 million.)
And it’s not just the NFL as a whole that’s investing abroad. According to The Associated Press, the Kansas City Chiefs spent about $1 million in preparation for and on fan events in Frankfurt, including docking a yacht in the Main River. Over the past three years, the team has spent about $3 million on its international efforts, with the majority invested in Germany.
The Chiefs were originally awarded International Home Marketing Area rights for Germany in December 2021, as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program. In April 2023, the NFL awarded the team expanded rights for Austria and Switzerland as well. This means the Chiefs organization can sign corporate sponsorship deals, hold events to attract fans, and sell merchandise, just as it does in the U.S.
Earlier this year, Jameson hosted a cheery campaign and launched an “unofficial” call for a pro American football game to be played in Dublin—where the spirits brand was founded.
At that time, the NFL told BizBash that the league “has a passionate and growing international fan base, and a major strategic priority for the league is continuing to spread the game globally.”
Keep scrolling to see how the NFL and its teams engaged fans in London and Frankfurt…
For their game against the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 5 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, the Kansas City Chiefs exported Kansas City and Chiefs Kingdom to Germany. It was the franchise’s first regular-season game in Germany, as well as the NFL’s first game in Frankfurt.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
The Chiefs docked a custom-wrapped boat on the banks of the Main River in central Frankfurt. Dubbed the “ChampionShip,” in honor of the club’s three Super Bowl titles, the boat served as the central hub of activity and entertainment throughout the team’s stay in Germany. Open to the public Nov. 3 and 4, the boat hosted private VIP events and a season ticket holder rally, concluding with a watch party on game day. More than 6,000 people visited the ChampionShip.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
Fans could check out replica lockers designed like those at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and put on shoulder pads and helmets; step up to a podium in front of a branded backdrop, just like at a press conference; and get their photo taken with the club’s Super Bowl LVII Lombardi Trophy.
Photo: Courtesy of Chiefs.com
Burger King Germany branded one of their downtown Frankfurt locations, turning it into the “Home of Football” with Chiefs photos, branding, and historical facts throughout the restaurant.
Courtesy of Chiefs.com
The menu included a Chiefs-themed double cheeseburger with extra ketchup, and the trays were lined with paper explaining the game of football in basic terms.
Courtesy of Chiefs.com
Chiefs cheerleaders; the team mascot, KC Wolf; and Chiefs legends made a community visit to RTL Kinderhaus (Children’s House) and worked with the USO Kaiserslautern to visit military members and their families.
Courtesy of Chiefs.com
Multiple Chiefs players took part in an NFL FLAG Football initiative after practice.
Photo: Courtesy of Chiefs.com
The NFL hosted two regular-season games in Frankfurt as part of its International Series.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
The New England Patriots hosted a series of fan activations surrounding the games in Frankfurt. The Patriots played against the Indianapolis Colts Nov. 12.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
Patriots Haus presented by Meet Boston gave fans the opportunity to take photos with the Patriots’ Super Bowl Championship trophies, purchase gear at the pop-up shop, get autographs from Patriots alumni, and mingle with Patriots cheerleaders and Pat Patriot, the team’s mascot. The activation welcomed more than 5,000 visitors over the course of three days.
Photo: Courtesy of Meet Boston
“Germany is a critical market for Greater Boston—traditionally in the top five for driving overseas visitors,” explained David O’Donnell, Meet Boston’s vice president of strategic communications. “Before the pandemic, we saw nearly 100,000 German visitors annually, and they injected close to $100 million in regional spending. We are eager to regain this market share.”
Photo: Courtesy of Meet Boston
The NFL touched down at London’s Battersea Power Station in October for a one-day fan event to celebrate the NFL 2023 London Games. London hosted three international games: the Jacksonville Jaguars versus the Atlanta Falcons in Wembley Stadium, and the Buffalo Bills versus the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans versus the Baltimore Ravens in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
Giant helmets representing all 32 teams, plus a bespoke 2023 NFL London Games helmet, were on display on The Coaling Jetty on the Thames.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
Like the activation in London, fans could pose with giant helmets representing all 32 teams in Frankfurt.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
The “NFL Experience London,” an immersive football takeover, included a roster of activities such as the Quarterback Challenge, where fans could test their skills.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
A mini flag football field gave fans the chance to experience the noncontact format of the game during the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs matchup in Frankfurt.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
On Oct. 10, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosted a game between the NFL Academy and Brooklyn-based high school Erasmus Hall. The NFL Academy, which opened in September 2019, is a major initiative by the NFL that aims to use American football to create opportunities for young people around the world. It allows student-athletes to combine their education along with a life skills program and intensive training in the sport under the guidance of a pro coaching team.
Photo: Courtesy of NFL
