The NFL remains a hot ticket internationally as the league expands its global footprint

MADRID (AP) — The initial batch of tickets for the first regular-season NFL game in Madrid were gone 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 the first game in Ireland, organizers said some 600,000 digital devices were logged on to try to buy tickets for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against the Minnesota Vikings at Dublin’s famed Croke Park.

The demand has been similarly high in other cities hosting games in recent years, and more countries have been reaching out to the NFL.

“Our ambition for international is to be a truly global sport,” Gerrit Meier, managing director and head of NFL International, said Tuesday in Madrid.

And “probably a day doesn’t go by” without a city saying they are interested in potentially hosting a game, said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL vice president in charge of international affairs.

The host cities themselves have treated the games as their Super Bowls, with a series of promotional events and fan activities planned in the weeks ahead and high-profile artists performing at halftime. They have generated massive fan interest locally and attracted fans from nearby European countries, allowing host cities to gain financially and in visibility.

Mini Super Bowls

Meier had said organizers went into the game in Dublin in September with “a real sense of a mini Super Bowl coming to town.”

There were NFL experiences and shops brought to iconic venues, and murals and light projections were visible throughout the Irish city. Similar activities were being promoted for Spain’s inaugural game in Madrid.

Puerto Rican superstar Daddy Yankee and Argentine producer Bizarrap are set to perform at halftime in Madrid. British singer Myles Smith was the star at halftime in Dublin, while Grammy award-winning artist Karol G performed in Sao Paulo in September. Grammy-nominated Kid Laroi was the headliner for Berlin’s first regular-season game last week, while the games in London included shows by British singer Raye and British rapper Giggs.

Most games abroad ever

The three games played in London this season took the total there to 42 games since 2007. The league has been aggressively expanding in recent years, and the seven games played internationally this season are the most ever for the NFL. Next year, it will go to Australia and add a game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has reiterated that the league plans to increase the number of international games to a point where each team will get to play a game abroad every year. He said in September that the NFL also wants to play in Asia.

“Probably a day doesn’t go by where someone on our international team doesn’t receive outreach from a city or an entity interested in working with the NFL and potentially hosting a game,” O’Reilly said. ”There’s very strong interest. I think cities have seen what it’s like to host a game, and the visibility that it brings, as well as the magnet it is for people from that region, and more broadly, around the world to come in.”

Economic impact

The estimated economic impact for London since the first game was played there in 2007 has reportedly reached $2.6 billion. The first time the NFL played in Germany in 2022, the economic impact was more than $80 million for the Munich area, and Spain expects similar numbers, according to some local estimates.

Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez said it was “a great honor that a competition with the prestige of the NFL” chose Madrid as host.

“This is a matter of great pride for us, for Real Madrid fans, for Madrid citizens and for Spaniards,” Pérez said when the game was announced. “We are convinced 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 have been played abroad through this season, with London, Munich, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Madrid, Berlin, Dublin and Toronto hosting them.

“Our historic first game in Madrid is a very exciting next step in the league’s history,” the NFL country manager for Spain, Rafa de los Santos, told The Associated Press. “Beyond playing international games, and expanding our global footprint, we want to grow our presence in key markets around the world year-round, bringing more fans globally closer to our game, our clubs and our players.”

Global momentum

O’Reilly said the league is excited about growing global momentum and the owners “continue to prioritize global growth” and work to establish a strategic foundation “across the league to become a true global sport property.”

“We’re now in a state where teams are very interested in raising their hand to play in certain markets, especially where they have global market rights, and we’re hearing from more and more countries and cities who are interested in being part of these international games’ road map,” O’Reilly said.

The league recently expanded its Global Markets Program, which awards teams international marketing rights to build brand awareness and fandom beyond the United States. Now all 32 teams participate in the program across 21 international markets — up from 25 clubs across 19 markets in 2024.

Teams benefiting

The NFL teams have jumped on the opportunity to expand their brand internationally and have been riding the current wave of interest.

“When you play a game abroad, 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 development and growth strategy in international markets. The Dolphins will be playing their eighth regular-season game abroad, second only to the 14 played by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“For us, it’s about celebrating American football internationally, about making history by playing in this first-ever 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 great opportunities, and it has been a perfect match for the Dolphins, which already has in its DNA that aspect of being an international organization.”

The Dolphins and Commanders said the 1,000 tickets made available to each team’s season-ticket holders were sold out quickly.

“This is a special opportunity to showcase our team and brand on the global stage as the NFL continues to grow into an international game,” Commanders team president Mark Clouse said.

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