NFL superstar Tom Brady made his first shots on German soil in an orange training shirt and long jogging suit. The seven-time Superbowl champion used the few seconds between passing and athletic sessions on the FC Bayern campus to warm his hands in his pockets. Friday afternoon north of Munich wasn’t quite as summery as it was in sunny Florida.
The Seattle Seahawks, who had landed the day before in the Bavarian capital, had long since celebrated their first football party. During Thursday’s wellness program, quarterback Geno Smith’s team danced to loud music on the training lawn on Säbener Straße. At the same time, thousands of fans in downtown Munich got in the mood for the first NFL game in Germany.
More fans every year
The response from the NFL community also impressed Germany’s NFL chief Alexander Steinforth, although that was to be expected after the boom of the last few years. “This is a great sign for us and confirmation that we have taken the step towards Germany. We’re seeing great interest everywhere.” So far, only London and Mexico have hosted the NFL overseas.
Football in Germany is no longer a niche product. A survey by AGF Videoforschung, the association of German TV and streaming providers, confirms the trend: around one in three 14-49 year olds came into contact with football on TV at least once in 2021. Only football shows a higher value in the age group with about 85%.
More NFL games
The Munich game should be just the beginning of a great vision of the German NFL. It is already clear that the Bavarian state capital will share three more main group matches with Frankfurt over the next three years. “But of course we want to play more games here in the future. Our goal no. 1 is the growth of fans. We want to inspire more fans for the sport, give more people access to the sport,” said Steinforth.
How can it be successful? By the way, through more “local heroes” in the NFL. “The more German protagonists there are, the more fans can build an emotional bond,” said Steinforth, “there is the NFL Academy in London. More German players need to enter there – and in the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).” With the IPPP, the NFL wants to make it easier for foreign players to enter the league: Jakob Johnson from Stuttgart has taken the next step in his career.
In addition, NFL Germany is currently investing “a lot of time and money” in the less-touched version of American football: flag football. “For us, this is the entry point into this sport, which is primarily aimed at young people,” said Steinforth.
European teams in the NFL?
NFL pro Johnson is excited about current developments in his home country. For the 27-year-old of the Las Vegas Raiders, the match in Munich is a victory for the German football community. “This is a sign that the NFL takes the German fan seriously,” the fullback said. Kasim Edebali believes that sport in Monaco will reach a new level.
Some NFL romantics even dream of an entire division consisting only of European teams. League boss Roger Goodell himself had recently fueled the rumors again and again. “We’re looking to see if there are more locations in Europe that could have an NFL franchise,” Goodell said in October, adding, “I think there’s no doubt that London can only support one franchise.”
A challenge of a European division would be the many long trips abroad for the players and the teams. The issue is probably less logistics than competition. There are currently no concrete considerations about this, Steinforth said. “But in the US you definitely see what’s going on in Germany very clearly.” dpa/upday
