Colts to Host First NFL Game in Berlin As International Schedule Grows

The Colts will be the first NFL team to host a regular-season game in Berlin.

Expanding on the league’s presence in Germany, where games have been played in Frankfurt and Munich, the Colts will give up one of their nine home games during the 2025 season to play at Olympic Stadium against an opponent who will be announced when the full schedule is released in May.

Last year, the Colts acquired international rights in Germany and Austria as part of the NFL’s global markets program. In 2023, the Colts played in Frankfurt against the Patriots—one of nine other teams with marketing rights in Germany—who were the host team that year.

Berlin has a multiyear contract with the NFL, as all three cities in Germany that have hosted games should factor into the league’s long-term international plans, which could eventually see 16 games per season played abroad.

League Without Borders

The NFL can schedule up to eight games outside the U.S. in 2025, up from five in recent seasons. 

The Browns, Jaguars, and Jets are set to host games in London. Madrid is the only other city guaranteed to host an NFL game—the host team for that matchup should be announced soon—but returns to Brazil and Mexico and a debut in Ireland are expected to happen, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last fall.

AFC franchises are likely to host all international games next season, as teams in that conference have an extra home game in 2025. The Steelers are eyeing the Ireland game, Goodell previously said, and the Dolphins have rights in Spain. 

The Broncos, Texans, Chiefs, Raiders, Dolphins, and Steelers are the AFC teams that have rights in Mexico, along with four NFC clubs (Cardinals, Cowboys, Rams, and 49ers). But it could be possible for a team without rights in a certain country to host a game there. The NFL asks for volunteers but can assign a team to give up a home game for an international contest once every eight years.