According to information from RTL/ntv
Exclusive: Berlin wants to host an NFL game in 2025
November 9, 2024, 10:01 a.m
The NFL is aiming for Germany. And possibly soon to the capital. According to information from RTL/ntv, Berlin wants to host a game next year and invest heavily in it. The venue has also been decided: the Olympic Stadium.
The Berlin Senate apparently wants to attract the National Football League (NFL) to the German capital with significant investments. The state government is planning total costs of up to 12.5 million euros for the years 2025 to 2029. RTL/ntv learned this exclusively from well-informed circles. The game operations of the American professional league should therefore be financed from next year.
1.55 million euros will be made available to realize a first game in Berlin in 2025. The large Olympic Stadium is planned as the venue. The state government expects the NFL’s involvement to have significant economic effects. Politicians are apparently assuming an even greater overall economic value creation than in a DFB Cup final (2023: ~ 52 million euros), it is said in the circles.
The very successful NFL games in Munich (2022; approx. 70 million euros) and Frankfurt (2023; two games; approx. 110 million euros in total) serve as a basis for evaluation. In addition, according to the Senate’s calculations, Berlin would only account for around 20 percent of the costs for possible NFL season games until 2029; the National Football League would cover the majority of the investment of around 49.5 million euros.
With the financing package, the Berlin state government hopes to benefit from the appeal and increasing popularity of American football in Germany, the sources say. The talks for the German capital to become involved in the NFL go back to summer 2021.
Next Tuesday, the Senate wants to clear the way politically for a series of NFL events. A few days later, the NFL will make a final decision on the venues for the games. Berlin also wants to apply to host the 2026 World Cup in Mixed Flag Football and thus further expand its attractiveness for the sport. This Sunday the NFL is visiting Munich again. RTL will broadcast the game between the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants live on free TV and on RTL+ from 2:30 p.m.
