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The National Football League (NFL) has announced an expansion of its Global Markets Program, with four new markets added to the initiative.
Confirmed:
- The New Orleans Saints become the first NFL team to be awarded international marketing rights in France
- The Pittsburgh Steelers have been given international marketing rights in Northern Ireland
- Both the Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars have been granted rights for the Republic of Ireland
- The Atlanta Falcons become the fifth NFL franchise to be granted international marketing rights in Germany, marking their first entry into the programme
- The Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which already have rights for Germany, will expand their presence to Austria and Switzerland as part of the DACH region
- 21 teams will participate in the programme for 2023 across 14 international markets
Context:
The Global Markets Program launched in January last year, when it was previously referred to as the International Home Marketing Areas programme. The initiative gives NFL teams access to international markets for commercial activations, marketing and fan engagement as part of a long-term plan to grow the league’s popularity outside of the US.
Comment:
“We are thrilled to see the shared ambition of our teams in growing the NFL around the world, and this expansion demonstrates not only the momentum of the Global Markets Program as we head into year two, but the value the participating clubs are already seeing from this important initiative,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president, club business, major events and international.
“We know that global fandom is accelerated through direct engagement with our clubs and players, and we are excited to see the continued impact of this program to reach and engage more fans and grow our sport at every level globally.”
Coming next:
Teams will have a five-year period to market themselves in their designated market.
