The New England Patriots and the American Football Association of Austria (AFBÖ) will go together in the future. Both partners agreed on a new partnership on the sidelines of the NFL Munich Game. Together, the six-time Super Bowl winner of the NFL and Austria’s Football Association will carry out nationwide activation measures and events to get even more people excited about American football. The Patriots are the first NFL team ever to enter into a partnership with a national American football association in the DACH region.
Common goal
As part of the partnership, the New England Patriots and the AFBÖ are particularly promoting the promotion of flag football. The non-contact version of American football is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The sport is to be further developed and made even more popular in Austria through joint training camps and flag football tournaments.
“I am very pleased about the cooperation with the New England Patriots, the most successful NFL team of the young millennium,” explains AFBÖ President Michael Eschlböck. “In addition to many things in common, we are united by the goal of arousing enthusiasm for American football. With flag football as an Olympic discipline at the games in Los Angeles in 2028, there is a great opportunity, with the support of the New England Patriots, to bring more flag football to Austria’s schools. And anyone who watches the Patriots at their home games will immediately recognize Austria’s colors on their shoulders. So everything fits together for a promising cooperation.”
“As part of our growth strategy, we rely on strategic partnerships with organizations and associations in our international home markets,” so Joe Dorant, Senior Director of International Business der New England Patriots. “The collaboration with the AFBÖ is an important step towards increasing our presence in Austria and working together to inspire people about the sport and the fascination of football.”
The DACH region is one of the most important markets for the Patriots outside the USA and a home market as part of the NFL Global Markets Program. After the team from Foxborough/Boston entered into a cooperation with the German Football Association (DFB) last year, they are now continuing this successful path in Austria.
About the AFBÖ
The American Football Federation Austria (AFBÖ) is the umbrella organization for American football and flag football in Austria. It is the sporting home for 42 American football and 40 flag football clubs throughout Austria. Over 6,600 athletes stand on the country’s football fields every year and give everything for their teams. Based in Vienna, the association, founded in 1982, organizes games in various adult and youth leagues. He also organizes the respective national teams in these sports.
