The German Football League (DFL) and National Football League (NFL) want to work together in the future. Both leagues are hoping for strong benefits.
At first glance, a professional league in Europe doesn’t have that much in common with one in the USA. Here are the structures in a league system in which, at least in theory, every club has the opportunity to get to the top. There that franchise-System with clubs that do not have to fear relegation.
The German Football League (DFL) and the National Football League (NFL) nevertheless agreed last Thursday (09/15/2022) to work together in various areas. Hoping to benefit from each other.
There are tangible economic interests
Why is? Officially, both organizations want to intensify the exchange, best practice-Share examples and examine and promote possible joint activities in the areas of production, broadcasting and program development, digital innovation and marketing. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and DFL Managing Director Donata Hopfen signed the cooperation.
“The DFL has always worked openly and cooperatively with leagues and organizations around the world to promote the development of the sport worldwide”, said Hop. But of course there are also economic interests behind it, because the national media revenues for the Bundesliga have reached their limits – and international marketing can be expanded.
When it comes to foreign marketing, the Bundesliga lags behind
So it won’t be enough if hops from the Bundesliga die “most digital football league in the world” wants to do – it must also open up other revenue streams. The NFL aims to help increase the global popularity of the Bundesliga. Both leagues have the same partner, media giant ESPN.
During the Corona crisis, the foreign marketing operated by the DFL collapsed, and the internationally active figureheads in particular openly complained about the low revenues from their point of view. “There has been a landslide imbalance here, and the Bundesliga needs solutions to reduce this huge difference again.”, criticized Oliver Kahn, CEO of FC Bayern, only in the spring. The Bundesliga is currently cashing in on international TV contracts “Less than 150 million euros per year, the premier league but in the same period more than two billion euros.”
DFL has office in new York
When it comes to food for thought in global marketing issues, when the contracts can be renegotiated, the NFL experts are not the worst advisers, maybe even door openers. At least that’s what they hope for at the DFL in Frankfurt.
The league has had its own office in New York for four years, which has since covered North and South America and acts as a contact point for media and marketing partners when German clubs hold training camps in the USA, for example.
FC Bayern cooperates with Kansas City Chiefs
FC Bayern has maintained a partnership with the NFL club for several years Kansas City Chiefsits president Mark Donovan got enthusiastic about the possibilities after Bayern’s US tour. The cooperation with the MLS club FC Dallas is also practiced along this path.
However, cross-sport one-twos are now deliberately played: During the trip to the USA, the Bayern stars also tried their hand at the american footballthe record champions recently distributed a video of Leroy Sané and Kingsley Coman as guests at the chiefs from Wide receiver Mecole Hardman and presenter Colleen Wolfe instructed to catch the egg properly. Both sides bring such social media-Activities new prospects.
First NFL game on November 13 in Munich
Because on the other hand, the NFL wants to play primarily on the European market. The US marketers know very well that a young target group in Germany is interested in american football excited. The NFL therefore carries the first regular season game in Germany on November 13 in Munich’s Allianz Arena between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks out.
The bosses of FC Bayern were closely involved in the coordination of the game. The industry leader is playing his away game at FC Schalke 04 the day before, after that November weekend the Bundesliga is interrupted because of the World Cup in Qatar.
Eintracht Frankfurt also welcomes the footballers
Germany will host one regular NFL game for each of the next four years, alternating between Munich and Frankfurt. Eintracht Frankfurt can’t wait to do what they did with Frankfurt Galaxy in the old forest stadium again football is played in front of a large backdrop in the city forest.
“The NFL is coming to Germany and bringing football back to Frankfort. We are absolutely thrilled and very proud that the NFL has decided to play two games in Frankfurt in the next four years. Here with us at Eintracht Frankfurt, in the heart of Europe”said Axel Hellmann, spokesman for the Hessian Bundesliga club.
In addition to him, for example, Fredi Bobic, Managing Director at Hertha BSC, also has a high affinity for the US sports market. So led one leadership-DFB Academy traveled the Bundesliga managers to the USA in December 2019 to gather insights from sports brands and companies there.
In the Corona crisis, the DFL was the savior
NFLCommissioner Goodell is now firmly convinced that both sides can benefit from the cooperation, even if there is no concrete target agreement. The exchange has intensified in the recent past, when the DFL, still under its boss Christian Seifert, played a global pioneering role in the Corona crisis.
After the outbreak of Covid-19, when all sports competitions were initially suspended for an indefinite period, the NFL was grateful for the expertise that the DFL provided via DFB doctor Tim Meyer for the restart. At the time, the Bundesliga was the first major sports league to return to the field thanks to its hygiene concept during the pandemic – and of the many sports organizations around the world, it supported the NFL in particular.