NFL announces first-ever game to be played in Germany for 2022 season

Munich is set to host the first-ever NFL game to be played in Germany during the 2022 season, the league announced Tuesday. Frankfurt will also host future NFL games in Germany.

“We are very pleased to welcome Munich and Frankfurt to the NFL family and are excited to reward our fans in Germany for their passion by bringing them the spectacle of regular-season NFL football,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We look forward to staging our first game in Germany at FC Bayern Munich’s fantastic stadium later this year and to exploring areas of broader collaboration with the Bundesliga.”

Germany will host one NFL game per season over the next four years, with next year’s and one future matchup to be held at FC Bayern Munich Stadium, the home of the Bundesliga champions. The two other games will be played at Frankfurt Stadium.

The Munich game is one of five NFL contests scheduled to take place internationally next season. Of the other four, three will be held in the UK as well as one in Mexico. Jacksonville and New Orleans have been announced as home teams for two the UK games, though dates and matchups won’t be released until the 2022 NFL schedule announcement later this year.

Per an agreement with the league, each team must stage at least one international game every eight years.

The NFL has made an increased effort to expand its reach outside the US in recent years. This December, the league announced its International Home Marketing Areas, which grants teams access to marketing, fan engagement and commercialization in outside countries. The Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were assigned to Germany.

The country has grown as an NFL market in recent years, with an estimated 19 million fans. Last year’s Super Bowl marked the third consecutive season that Germany set a record for TV viewership. A recent survey found that football is the second-most popular sports in the country, with fantasy football participation and merchandise sales also on the rise.

Leaders in Germany have reacted to the news with excitement, stating that many citizens will be interested in attending the games.

“We are very pleased to welcome the NFL International Series to Munich,” Lord Mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter said. “It is a great honor for the state capital Munich to be the first German city to stage a regular-season NFL game. Many Munich residents are big football fans and they will be thrilled that this spectacular sporting event is coming to their city.”