By the Numbers: The NFL’s Germany push rolls on as the Lions and Patriots head to Munich

MUNICH (AP) — The Detroit Lions and New England Patriots square off Sunday in Munich for what will be the NFL’s sixth regular-season game in Germany.

Munich hosted the first one in 2022 and again in 2024. Frankfurt has staged two games — in back-to-back weeks in 2023. Berlin joined the party last season.

Germany is the NFL’s biggest European market, and more games are already under contract. Berlin is set to host again in 2027 and 2029; and Munich in 2028.

Here’s some more information about the NFL and Germany.

In five games played in Germany, no quarterback has thrown for 300 yards or three touchdowns. Geno Smith came closest in 2022 with Seattle, throwing for 275 yards and two TDs in a 21-16 loss to Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, four running backs have rushed for 100 yards of more.

The last two games in Germany have gone to overtime. The Indianapolis Colts beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in OT a year ago in Berlin, where Jonathan Taylor ran for 244 yards and three touchdowns. In 2024, the Carolina Panthers rallied to beat the New York Giants 20-17 in overtime in Munich .

The number of languages spoken by Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown . Along with English, the wide receiver speaks German thanks to his mother, Miriam, who is from Leverkusen. St. Brown also speaks French — he and his two brothers had attended a French elementary school and spent a semester at a school in Paris in his childhood.

NFL Europe was a financial failure, but don’t blame Germany. By the time the league folded in 2007, five of the remaining six teams were based in Deutschland. Local fans held “power parties” — the German version of tailgating — before games. In the final “World Bowl,” the Hamburg Sea Devils beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 37-28 in front of 48,125 fans in Frankfurt. The Galaxy was the only team that played in every season of the NFL’s European league, which went through several name changes. In 2007, the NFL switched its international approach in favor of bringing regular-season games abroad each season with London the main location.

The number of NFL teams with league-granted marketing rights in Germany. That’s the single biggest number across the entire “ global markets program .” The initiative gives teams authorization to treat countries as if they were home markets — where they can sign commercial deals, build brand awareness and hold fan activations. Both the Lions and Patriots have German rights. All 11 teams will all be holding events in Munich this weekend.

As of 2024, Germany had more than 73,400 members and 512 clubs that play American football. As with the rest of Europe, participation is measured through clubs, not schools like in the U.S. Based on those figures, the American Football Association of Germany says it is the largest such association in Europe. The organization governs football, flag football and cheerleading. It said Austria has the next-biggest American football community at 10,000 members.

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