American football’s NFL has announced a new partnership with Brand USA, the tourism marketing organization for the country, as the league continues to boost its presence overseas.
Under the deal, Brand USA becomes the lead partner of the NFL in the UK and Ireland, the presenting partner of the NFL London Games, and an official partner of the NFL in Germany.
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The NFL said with casual fans of 14.3 million in the UK and Ireland and 18 million in Germany, the two organizations will look to collectively reach audiences across the sport, entertainment, and tourism sectors to increase its presence in those key markets.
Henry Hodgson, NFL UK general manager, said: “American culture defines football, and with multiple games being played in London this season and in the years ahead, we're looking forward to working together to bring fans and new audiences exciting experiences.”
The partnership comes shortly after the NFL expanded its partnership with English soccer club Tottenham Hotspur through the 2029-30 season in a deal that will see the club’s stadium become the official home of all NFL games staged in the UK.
The league is staging five international regular-season games this season, including two at Tottenham and another at London’s Wembley Stadium in October, while Frankfurt in Germany will host two more NFL games in November.
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By GlobalDataThe London swing kicked things off as the Jacksonville Jaguars took on the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium yesterday (October 1) as part of a separate deal that sees the London venue host one game per season. That deal is due to expire next year.
Following yesterday's game, the Jaguars will move on to playing the Buffalo Bills on October 8, while the Tennessee Titans will face off against the Baltimore Ravens on October 15. Both those games will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The NFL’s Germany games come as part of a deal running through 2025 and will see Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs play the Miami Dolphins on November 5 at Frankfurt Stadium. A match-up between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts will then follow on November 12.
Both the Chiefs and Patriots have been allocated Germany as an International Home Marketing Area (IMHA) through a program that began at the end of 2021.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, have been assigned the UK as an IHMA, with a long-standing association with that country. They will play their 10th and 11th fixtures there this year. In total, 33 NFL games have been held in London so far.
The league has prioritized increasing its international presence after awarding IMHAs to 18 of its 32 franchises across eight countries to build its brand appeal and fanbase globally.
The eight IHMAs are the UK, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Spain, China, and Australia. Franchises are not limited to just one and indeed in some cases now have access to three.
