NFL clash set for Berlin Olympic Stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, January 10^th, 2025

Image: NFL

The National Football League (NFL) has unveiled plans to play its first-ever regular season game in Berlin, Germany in 2025.

The NFL said the 2025 NFL Berlin game will be played at the Olympic Stadium as part of a multiyear commitment to playing games in the sports metropolis and as the league continues to prioritize global growth and expand its global footprint.

The NFL has successfully held regular season games in Munich and Frankfurt since 2022, with the game in Berlin set to mark the fifth NFL regular season game in Germany and the first in the German capital.

The NFL held the last of its five international matches for 2024 at the Allianz Arena in Munich with the Carolina Panthers claiming a 20-17 overtime win over the New York Giants.

The first regular-season NFL game in Germany was played between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks at the Allianz Arena in November 2022.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “Germany has a rich tradition of American football, and the NFL has a deep history with the city of Berlin.

“We first held a preseason game at the Olympic Stadium 34 years ago, before it was home to NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder in the early 2000s. Now, with almost 20 million NFL fans in Germany, we’ll make a historic return to the city playing a regular season game for the first time as we open the next chapter in our relationship with Berlin.”

In addition to the game, the NFL will work with the Berlin Senate across their major sports development program to grow and develop flag football — the non-contact format of the game that will be included in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) — in Berlin’s schools and clubs.

Senator for the Interior and Sports, State of Berlin, Iris Spranger, said, “This long-term partnership with the NFL will continue to boost Berlin as a global sports metropolis, as well as excite fans at the Olympic Stadium.

“The 2025 NFL Berlin game means worldwide visibility, numerous international guests, increased tourism and high economic value across the city. We’re looking forward to an incredible game and an ongoing successful partnership with the league, as we continue to strengthen the presence of American football throughout the state.”

The NFL played five American Bowl games at the Olympic Stadium between 1990 and 1994, and it was also home to NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder from 2003-07.

The Olympic Stadium has hosted the 1936 Summer Olympic Games, the FIFA Men’s World Cup (1974 and 2006), a FIFA Women’s World Cup (2011), six UEFA EURO 2024 matches, including the final, and world and European athletics championships. The Olympic Stadium is also the home of the football club Hertha BSC.

Beginning in 2025, the NFL can schedule up to eight league-operated international regular season games per season.

A commitment to playing two regular season games in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one game in Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium – home to Real Madrid C.F., have already been announced for 2025. Other games and locations will be confirmed in the weeks and months ahead.

Fifty-five regular season NFL games have been played around the world throughout the league’s history, with London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto all hosting games to date.

The Global Markets Program grants the NFL clubs access to international areas for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization as part of the NFL’s long-term plan to spread the game and their brand globally.

Expansion of the International Series benefits the NFL beyond simply increasing the popularity of the league.

With flag football entering the Olympics as an official event in 2028, the NFL is spreading the game around the globe in an effort that could even include moving the Pro Bowl Games overseas.

The NFL will announce participating teams, schedule and ticket information for the Munich tie in the coming months.

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