NFL’s historic inaugural regular season game in Germany generated economic impact of more than 70 million euros for Munich
Historic game generated economic impact of 70.2 million euros for the Munich area
May. 3, 2023: The National Football League’s (NFL) first-ever regular season international game in Germany was a success beyond the stadium in both economic and social impact, as the National Football League shared the results of their ‘2022 NFL Munich Game Impact Assessment’ report.
The study, compiled by The Sports Consultancy Group, confirmed that the game generated a total economic impact of 70.2 million euros for the City of Munich, with 32.2 million euros in direct spending.
The historic game, played on November 13, 2022, at Allianz Arena – Home of FC Bayern Munich, saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Seattle Seahawks 21-16.
«The Munich game was a significant moment for the NFL in Germany and one that will live in the minds of those in the stadium and those who watched the game from around the world for many years to come,’ said Dr. Alexander Steinforth, GM NFL Germany. «The economic and social impact generated from our first regular season game is impressive and underlines the positive contribution the game had on the City of Munich and beyond, and we look ahead to playing future games in the country in the coming years.»
«The results of the ‘2022 Munich Game Impact Assessment’ report confirm what a fantastic success the game was in Munich,» added Peter O’Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President, Club Business, Major Events & International. «We are grateful to the City of Munich, State of Bavaria, Bayern Munich, Allianz Arena and the participating NFL teams in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks for their partnership in delivering this historic game for the fans in the stadium and viewers around the world, and a legacy that will live well beyond.»
NFL fans spent on average 333 euros per day in Munich during game weekend, significantly higher than the average Munich visitor spend of 225 euros per day.
A global audience of 8.2 million watched the game around the world. It was NFL Network’s most-watched international game on record in the United States with more than 5.8 million viewers (does not count OTA viewing in Tampa and Seattle), and broke game day merchandise records as sales at the Allianz Arena were the highest-ever recorded for an NFL game outside of the US.
Ahead of the game the NFL delivered a series of events and activities in partnership with the City of Munich to engage local communities. A school NFL Flag Football program was introduced nationwide, giving more than 4,000 youngsters the opportunity to play the game across Germany, many for the first time. The program was delivered in 153 school classes between May and November 2022 and has continued in 2023 as NFL Flag football grows across the country.
