NFL Tackles Global Growth With International Marketing, Activation Platform
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 09:59PM By Barry Janoff
December 15, 2021: The NFL today unveiled an International Home Marketing Areas platform, calling it a “strategic effort to enable clubs to build their global brands while driving NFL fan growth internationally.”
Under the leadership of the NFL’s International Committee, 18 teams have been given IHMAs across eight countries, giving them “access for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization as part of an important, long-term, strategic effort to enable clubs to build their global brands while driving NFL fan growth internationally.”
The initiative was unveiled during the NFL’s owners meeting in Dallas.
The nations include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Mexico and Spain, as well as the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
The Los Angeles Rams have IHMA rights in three nations: Mexico, Australia and China, the latter two as the lone NFL team in those respective countries.
Nine teams have IHMA rights in Mexico. (See full list below.)
Clubs can begin to activate in their awarded market(s) on Jan. 1, 2022.
“NFL fandom begins with our clubs,” Christopher Halpin, NFL evp, chief strategy and growth officer, said via the league. “This important initiative enables NFL teams to develop meaningful, direct relationships with NFL fans abroad, driving fan growth and avidity globally.
"We were very pleased with the number, creativity and level of commitment of club proposals across the board in this initial application period and look forward to teams launching their efforts early next year.”
According to the NFL, as part of the International HMA program, clubs will have access to international markets for at least a five-year term, during which a club will have rights to “pursue activities in that international market that are consistent with what they can do in their domestic HMA.”
This includes in-person and digital marketing, corporate sponsorship sales, fan events and activations, youth football activities, merchandise sales and co-marketing relationships with other sports and entertainment properties in the market.
Together with the NFL’s International Games platform — all 32 clubs will play at least one international game over the next eight seasons — the league said it would “use its best efforts to ensure clubs play their international games in their International HMAs, where possible.”
Following the launch of this initiative, the NFL said clubs may submit future proposals for International Committee review annually each spring.
“Today’s announcement is a significant milestone in our efforts to broaden the NFL’s global reach by building long-term relationships with these international markets that will play a large role in the continued growth and expansion of our sport for years to come,” Joel Glazer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner/co-chairman and NFL International Committee chairman, said via the league.
“Much of our league success is rooted in the strong connection that our individual teams have built with their fans, and this initiative creates many more avenues for engaging and energizing our international fanbase.”
The NFL's International Home Marketing Areas:
• Australia: Los Angeles Rams
• Brazil: Miami Dolphins
• Canada: Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks
• China: Los Angeles Rams
• Germany: Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Mexico: Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers
• Spain: Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins
• UK: Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers
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