The NFL announced that it had awarded International Home Marketing Area (IHMA) rights for several teams on Wednesday.
The Kansas City Chiefs were awarded marketing rights for Germany and Mexico as part of the global growth of professional football. The team last played internationally in 2019, facing the Los Angeles Chargers at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. Before that, the team faced the Detroit Lions in a regular-season game at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Each of the NFL’s 32 teams will play abroad in the next eight seasons, with most teams playing in their International Home Marketing Areas. The Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers were also awarded Germany, while the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers were among the teams also awarded marketing rights for Mexico.
Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt sits on the NFL’s International Committee and has long advocated for expansion and growth internationally.
“We are thrilled with the league’s announcement today that the Chiefs have secured the international marketing rights to both Germany and Mexico,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said, via press release. “My father, Lamar, founded the Chiefs and the American Football League in 1960 to introduce pro football to new fans in new regions of the country. Over the last three decades, the Chiefs have been at the forefront of the NFL’s global growth initiatives – building on the legacy of our founder to bring America’s game to new fans in new places. We look forward to building relationships with fans in Germany and Mexico and continuing to share the best of Chiefs Kingdom around the world.”
.@NFL Announces International Home Marketing Area Teams and Markets
For more information, click here: https://t.co/ooPlFa3XKX pic.twitter.com/NvSU0wBVix
— NFL345 (@NFL345) December 15, 2021
“We are currently enjoying the most successful period in franchise history, with some of the top players and coaches on the field as well as the support of a talented and dedicated business operations staff, and we believe we are uniquely positioned to be a leader in the NFL’s global growth,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said, via press release. “We have an internal committee which has been leading our international efforts for multiple years and today’s announcement not only recognizes the hard work that went into this bid process, but it also signals the start of an exciting challenge for our team and opportunity for our fan base in the coming years.”
The Chiefs can begin to activate in their awarded market(s) beginning on January 1, 2022. That will include targeted marketing on Chiefs’ social media channels, new digital properties on Chiefs.com and Chiefs Mobile app, paid advertising campaigns, local sponsorship deals and more. The team plans to invest in growing its fanbase long-term in both markets through on-site activations and fan events, supporting local flag football activities, fan clubs, and initiatives.
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