The National Football League and the Bundesliga extended their commercial partnership on November 10 to boost growth across American and German markets.
The memorandum of understanding builds upon an initial agreement established in 2022, as reported by Football Business News. Both organizations intend to collaborate further on marketing, live events, content creation, and matchday operations.
Over the past four years, the NFL has staged five regular-season fixtures in German stadiums across Munich, Frankfurt, and Berlin. These games have cemented Germany as a core European base for the American league’s international footprint.
“The renewal of our memorandum with the NFL represents a fundamental step for the continued expansion of the Bundesliga in the United States,” said Steffen Merkel, amministratore delegato of the German league.
The German football league has utilized NFL events in the United States to showcase its clubs and former stars to American audiences. At the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, former Borussia Dortmund player Patrick Owomoyela announced a sixth-round selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In December 2025, former Bayern Munich defender Rafinha joined former New England Patriots players Brian Hoyer and Sebastian Vollmer at a fan watch party during a game against the Buffalo Bills. Former players Claudio Pizarro and Roman Weidenfeller also attended the last two Super Bowl events as league ambassadors.
“The partnership demonstrates how important it is to bring together two of the leading sports leagues in the world,” said Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner.
Cross-promotional activities extended beyond league fixtures when former NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri set a Guinness World Record in September by landing a field goal at 3.454 meters of altitude in the Swiss Alps, with former Bayern Munich striker Giovane Élber holding the ball.
The NFL partnership operates alongside the Bundesliga’s 17-year collaboration with Relevent Sports, which manages television rights, regional sponsorships, and grassroots soccer projects in the United States. While Relevent handles commercial broadcast promotion, the NFL arrangement provides direct access to American sports fans through major calendar fixtures.
