The NFL’s push for global reach is not stopping any time soon, and the Seattle Seahawks have just expanded their marketing powers across three European countries.
The team announced on Monday that it’s been awarded international marketing rights in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland under the NFL’s Global Markets Program.
“The 12s are known around the world for being one of the most passionate fan bases in the NFL, and our fans in Germany and the DACH Region are no exception,” said Chuck Arnold, President, Seattle Seahawks and First & Goal Inc. “Playing in Munich in 2022, we met so many incredible Seahawks fans who had traveled from across the region to cheer us on. We are excited to further expand our fan engagement efforts internationally and foster an even closer relationship with our fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland moving forward.”
Seattle also has marketing rights in Canada, which at the time was announced as “access for marketing, fan engagement, and commercialization as part of an important, long-term, strategic effort to enable clubs to build their global brands while driving NFL fan growth internationally.”
Two years ago, the Seahawks took part in the NFL’s first regular season game in Germany, a 21-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While it was a designated road game for Seattle, the crowd at the Allianz Arena in Munich had a decided pro-Seahawks feel to it, much like when the Seahawks won at England’s Wembley Stadium over the Raiders in 2018. It’s clear that the Seahawks have developed a big international fanbase.
Seattle is one of the few teams yet to have a designated home game as part of the league’s International Series, and that will continue this season. It feels inevitable that we will see them overseas (or perhaps up the street in Vancouver) as the home team as soon as 2025, when the NFL intends to expand to eight international regular season games.