Germany’s legion of NFL fans welcomes Giants and Panthers to Munich

This Sunday, Germany gets the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants, both with 2-7 records and short of star power. However, there’s still an NFL buzz around Munich.

Fans wearing caps and jerseys from almost every team in the league could be seen in the center of the city on Saturday. For Germany’s growing community of NFL fans, the game means a chance to spend the weekend with people who share their passion.

Among the crowds on the historic Marienplatz square were Annika and Robert Peter, from Bonn in Western Germany. They’re Kansas City Chiefs fans who saw the team beat the Miami Dolphins, 21-14, in Frankfurt last year, and they’re going to Sunday’s game to experience the NFL atmosphere a second time.

“We said that even if the Chiefs aren’t here now, everything that goes with the game, the experience, is something special, too,” Annika Peter said. “It’s a feeling of togetherness, no matter who the fans are. It’s like a big family that comes together in the city to watch these games.”

As the NFL booms in international markets and sends more regular-season games overseas, there’s the question of how much the quality of the product on the field really matters.

This year’s game between the Giants and the Panthers — who are nominally the home team — reportedly sold out in just over 90 minutes when tickets went on sale in June. That was long before it became clear just how difficult the season would be for both teams.

However, in a sign of flagging enthusiasm from some fans, online platforms listed hundreds of tickets for resale on Friday and Saturday, and many were offered for around face value or even slightly less. It’s far from the frenzy when Tom Brady played at the same venue in 2022.

Another largely unsuccessful team is at the forefront of the NFL’s global expansion plans. The Jacksonville Jaguars lead the league with 13 international games, all in London, since 2013, including two this season. The Jaguars have only made the playoffs twice in that time and, like the Giants and Panthers, are 2-7 this season.

Data from Sportfive, a marketing agency which works with the league, this year estimated 3.6 million Germans follow the NFL closely. Stefan Chatrath, professor of sports marketing at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Berlin, said the NFL’s appeal in Germany skewed toward a younger demographic even if older, wealthier fans tended to buy more tickets. With time, younger fans’ influence will grow, he predicted.

“It’s to be expected that the full potential isn’t close to being realized yet,” said Chatrath, who added the teams that are on the field are less important. “At the moment, the NFL brand is to the fore and that means it’s something special to be at an NFL game.”

One way the NFL tries to stand out from European sports is by creating a sense of occasion around the game. Fans coming to Munich from across Europe are encouraged to make it a mini-vacation with NFL-themed events spread around the city. The 10 NFL teams with marketing rights in Germany have each taken over a Munich bar, some belonging to historic breweries, for fan parties and hospitality events this weekend.

The NFL’s emphasis on parity gives European fans of struggling teams like the Giants and Panthers particular hope, too. Some are tired of soccer, where the richest teams tend to monopolize the titles in national competitions and the Champions League.

Boris Helleu, a senior lecturer in sports marketing at the University of Caen Normandy in France, goes to NFL games in Europe. But he’s also a fan of French soccer club Caen, which has yet to win a major trophy since it was founded 110 years ago.

“We have won nothing, nothing, nothing in our history,” Helleu said. “And I am very sure that when my time will come, I will never see my local team win something.” The NFL offers something different, he added.

“When you are a fan of a weak (NFL) team, you can strongly believe that in five years you will be able, maybe, to win a championship.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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