The Kansas City Chiefs are set to make a huge impact on the European market for the NFL after being awarded international marketing rights for Austria and Switzerland on Tuesday.
The announcement was made just days before the 2023 NFL draft is set to take place in Kansas City and will have a major effect on the team’s international reach after their Super Bowl championship in February.
Chiefs president Mark Donovan issued a statement in the team’s release about the new rights, noting that Kansas City is primed to do big things in the international market in the coming years.
“We have committed a lot of energy and effort into growing the Chiefs brand – as well as helping grow the NFL – internationally, and today’s development is going to continue to allow us to invest in European markets,” Donovan explained in his statement.
“The game this season in Germany, much like our games in London and Mexico City, will create amazing opportunities for our fans. Given our history, we think we’re uniquely positioned to take advantage of these expanded commercial and fan development rights in Austria and Switzerland, and we can’t wait to get started.”
The league’s decision to give the Super Bowl champions rights to an expanded market in Europe is a no-brainer, especially given that the Chiefs are already heavily involved in the international marketing program. In 2021, Kansas City was awarded rights to Germany and Mexico as part of the NFL’s initial expansion into markets outside of the United States, and the team is set to play its first game in Munich this season against the Chicago Bears.
Whether games will be played in Austria or Switzerland in the coming years is unknown at this point, but the sheer volume of potential fans in the Chiefs’ new sphere of influence should help the team gain traction across the pond.
