The Lions were awarded NFL global marketing program rights across DACH last March. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions, of American football’s NFL, have moved to enhance their commercial appeal in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).

The franchise has appointed sports marketing and events firm e|motion, which will now exclusively represent the Lions in that trio of countries.

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The firm will now “oversee the development and execution” of Lions-based marketing, sponsorship, and fan engagement.

e|motion has said that creating tailored sponsorship, merchandising, and licensing opportunities will be its focus through this arrangement.

The Lions hold rights for these activities across DACH as part of the overall NFL global markets program (which first launched in 2022), which sees franchises allocated different markets to try and grow their commercial appeal.

The Lions were allocated the DACH markets, as well as Canada, in this program, last March. One of the team's star players is wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is German-speaking.

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Germany has so far hosted four regular-season NFL games, none of which involve the Lions, with the Indianapolis Colts set to be the designated home team – the visiting franchise is yet to be announced – for a game in Berlin later this year.

Rod Wood, chief executive and president at the Detroit Lions, has said: “Our partnership with the e|motion group is an exciting step in bringing the Detroit Lions closer to our fans in Europe … We’re committed to strategically growing our brand in the DACH region, and the e|motion group brings the expertise and local market understanding needed to make that a reality.”

The Lions had their 2024 season ended at the Wildcard round of the playoffs, losing 45-31 at home to the Washington Commanders.

Simon Schleich, e|motion group’s managing director, added: “This partnership is not only an opportunity to expand the Lions’ presence in the international sports community but also to engage millions of fans who are eager to connect with the NFL and this great franchise.“

In terms of NFL international expansion, meanwhile, this week has seen confirmation that Melbourne, Australia, will host games from 2026 onwards, through a multi-year deal.