Rams seeking to grow fanbase in Mexico, China and Australia through NFL’s new initiative

The Rams are growing their marketing and fan engagement in three different countries moving forward: Mexico, China and Australia.

The NFL has made a concerted effort to grow the popularity of football beyond the borders of the United States and through a new initiative announced Wednesday, that will continue – specifically for the Rams.

The NFL announced that 18 teams have been granted access to 26 International Home Marketing Areas (IHMA) in eight different countries around the world. For the Rams, they were the only team awarded three countries to expand their marketing into.

Those countries are Mexico, China and Australia, with the Rams being the only team that’s expanding its footprint in China and Australia. Nine teams were awarded access in Mexico, with six in the UK, four in Germany, two in Spain, two in Canada and one in Brazil.

Rams COO Kevin Demoff issued the following statement on the exciting news, and is looking forward to the Rams growing their fanbase in each of the three countries in the coming years.

When Stan Kroenke brought the Rams home to Los Angeles and envisioned SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, it was with an eye to build a global brand along with an iconic sports and entertainment destination. Here in the United States, Los Angeles is the gateway to so many incredible countries across the world including Australia and China, as well as our neighbor, Mexico.  We are fortunate to have developed a strong presence in each of those countries over the years, through digital engagement, authentic connections with local celebrities and influencers, and even in-market activations.  We are thrilled to deepen our connection with our fans abroad and expand our presence in these countries over the next five years and beyond.

With the new IHMA program, teams will have access to their granted international markets for at least five years, giving them the chance 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,” the Rams wrote in their release.

The Rams planned to play a game against the Chiefs back in 2018, but poor field conditions at Estadio Azteca forced the NFL to relocate the game to Los Angeles. That matchup, of course, was the historic 54-51 Monday Night Football game that the Rams won at home before making a run to the Super Bowl later that year.