MADRID (AP) — The initial run of tickets for the first regular-season NFL game in Madrid sold out in a matter of hours, with nearly 700,000 people trying to get a seat to watch the Miami Dolphins play the Washington Commanders on Sunday at Real Madrid's iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
For first game in Ireland Last month, organizers said nearly 600,000 digital devices were logged in to try to buy tickets for the Pittsburgh Steelers' game against the Minnesota Vikings at Dublin's iconic Croke Park.
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Demand has been equally strong in other host cities in recent years, with more countries turning to the NFL. An NFL official says there's “probably not a day that goes by” without the city saying it's interested in potentially hosting the game.
The host cities themselves are treating the games as their own Super Bowls, with a series of promotional and fan events planned for the coming weeks, and famous entertainers performing at halftime. They attracted huge fan interest locally and attracted fans from nearby European countries, allowing the host cities to benefit financially and increase publicity.
Mini Super Bowls
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Gerrit Meyer, managing director and head of NFL International, said organizers approached the game in Dublin last month with “a real sense of a mini-Super Bowl coming to the city.”
There were NFL events, stores were moved to iconic locations, and murals and light projections were visible throughout the Irish city. Similar events were held during the first game of the Spanish national team in Madrid.
Puerto Rican superstar Daddy Yankee and Argentine producer Bizarrap will perform at halftime in Madrid. British singer Miles Smith was the breakout star in Dublin, and the Grammy Award-winning artist Karol G performed in Sao Paulo in September. Grammy nominee Kid Laroi headlined the first regular-season game in Berlin last week, and games in London included performances by the British singer. Ray and British rapper Giggs.
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Most games abroad ever
three games played in London This season brings the total number of games to 42 since 2007, when the NFL officially began its journey to international growth with regular-season games overseas. The league has been expanding aggressively in recent years, and the seven games played internationally this season is the most in NFL history. Next year it will be go to Australia And add game to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has confirmed that the league plans to increase the number of international games to the point where every team can play a game overseas every year. In September he said that The NFL also wants to play in Asia. The league could also look at possible locations for the game in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, and perhaps Saudi Arabia could also be on the list.
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“There probably isn't a day that goes by that someone on our international team doesn't receive support from a city or organization interested in partnering with the NFL and potentially hosting a game,” said Peter O'Reilly, NFL vice president of international affairs. “There's a lot of interest. I think cities have seen what it means to host the game and the visibility it brings, and the magnet it is for people from the region and, by extension, around the world.”
Economic effect
The estimated economic impact for London since the first game was held there in 2007 has reportedly reached $2.6 billion. When the NFL first played in Germany in 2022, the economic impact for the Munich region was more than $80 million, and some local estimates suggest Spain is expecting similar numbers.
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Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said he was “honored that the NFL's prestige competition” had chosen Madrid as its host.
“This is a matter of great pride for us, Real Madrid fans, the citizens of Madrid and the Spanish people,” Perez said when the game was announced. “We are confident that the city and our stadium are ready to be part of one of the greatest spectacles in the world.”
More than 60 regular season games will be played overseas this season in London, Munich, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Madrid, Berlin, Dublin and Toronto.
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“Our historic first game in Madrid is a very exciting next step in the history of the league,” Rafa de los Santos, national manager of the NFL in Spain, told The Associated Press. “As well as participating in international games and expanding our global presence, we want to expand our presence year-round in key markets around the world, bringing more fans around the world closer to our game, our clubs and our players.”
Global momentum
O'Reilly said the league is encouraged by growing global momentum and the owners “continue to prioritize global growth” and are working to create a strategic framework “for the entire league to become a true global sports property.”
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“We're at a point now where teams are very interested in putting their hand up to compete in certain markets, especially where they have global market rights, and we're hearing from more and more countries and cities that are interested in being part of the roadmap for these international games,” O'Reilly said.
The league recently expanded its Global Markets program, which provides teams with international marketing rights to increase brand awareness and fans outside the United States. All 32 teams in 21 international markets now participate in the program, up from 25 clubs in 19 markets in 2024.
Teams benefit
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NFL teams have seized the opportunity to expand their brand internationally and have taken advantage of the current wave of interest.
“When you play overseas, it's not just about the result on the field,” said Dolphins vice president of international development Felipe Formiga, who leads the organization's brand and growth strategy in international markets. The Dolphins will play their eighth regular season game overseas, trailing only the 14 games played by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“For us, it's about bringing American football international fame, making history by playing this first game in Spain,” he told the AP. “This movement by the NFL in recent years to motivate teams to expand internationally has presented us with a great opportunity, and it was a perfect fit for the Dolphins, who already have that aspect of an international organization in their DNA.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Thales Azzoni, Associated Press
