NFL ‘Overwhelmed’ by International Ticket Demand

The NFL is making progress on its mission to expand its international business to $1 billion over the next 10 years.

The league says it’s been “overwhelmed” by ticket demand for its first regular-season game in Germany on Nov. 13 between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks. 

More than 770,000 people simultaneously accessed the site when tickets went on sale Tuesday. Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena — where the game will be played — says it has 75,024 seats during national games, but a capacity of 70,000 for international ones.

• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London hosted two games last October, collectively attracting more than 120,000 fans.
• Two more games will be played at Tottenham’s stadium this October. Another will take place at Wembley stadium. 

“Tom Brady and the Bucs facing the Seahawks in November will be the biggest sporting event in Germany in 2022,” an NFL spokesperson said.

Across the Globe

The NFL has made a number of other moves to aid its overseas expansion. In April, the league assigned general managers to the U.K. and Australia — the league’s first-on-the-ground presence in the country. In December, teams received approval to market and commercialize in 26 International Home Marketing Areas across eight countries.

The NFL currently counts 150 million international fans, with plans to add 50 million more in the next decade.