KC Chiefs game in Germany should generate major economic impact

Last year’s opening game in Germany for the NFL was a big economic hit, but wait until the game’s best player comes to town.

In 2022, the National Football League expanded its boundaries with the first regular-season game ever played in Germany. The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers held a game in Munich as the start of the league’s initiative to expand the popularity of America’s most popular game to new heights on a global scale. The results, which are now in, were very strong, to say the least.

The Seahawks-Bucs game was held last November, but for some reason, the league is just now getting around to releasing information about the economic impact of the game. However, the results are glowing and it sets an impressive precedent for the Kansas City Chiefs’ eventual visit later this year to the country.

Last year, the first-ever NFL game played in Germany, and the festivities leading up to the event held in Munich at Allianz Arena (FC Bayern Munich’s home) generated a reported economic impact of €70.2 million. On average, NFL fans spent 108 more euros daily than the average tourist, and even merch sales on the ground were higher than any other game ever played outside of the U.S., per a press release from the league.

This year, the Chiefs and New England Patriots are the “home” teams for Germany as both franchises hope to expand their own marketing territory into Germany. For the Chiefs, if reports are correct, they will likely be playing the Chicago Bears in Frankfurt as their scheduled game. It’s unknown, as of yet, when that game will be played, but the NFL schedule is set to be revealed next Thursday, May 11.

While the Bucs had Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, the Chiefs are a team with all of the momentum right now. Patrick Mahomes is the game’s best player. Andy Reid is a legendary head coach. Travis Kelce’s charisma and production have turned him into a household name. And being the defending Super Bowl champions should be a big enough draw as it is.

It will be interesting to see how Germany responds to a visit from the league’s best and how those numbers will compare to the numbers of their first year in country.