The National Football League’s international reach: A German native’s perspective
As an American, I have had sports incorporated into my life since I can remember; especially American style football. I recall being a kid, dreading Monday mornings and getting up early for school. The one thing that got me excited for the day: counting down the hours to Monday Night Football.
For many of us sports fans, the nature of our “followership” is so deeply engrained inside of us. We constantly search for the latest sports news, have unlimited viewing possibilities and chat non-stop about players with our friends and family.
This history of sport fandom may not be the same for most football fans outside of the United States. To get a deeper perspective into the mind of international fans, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Spahlinger of Würzburg, Germany.
Spahlinger is a 22-year-old Economics student at the Julius-Maximilians University in Würzburg, and has been an avid football fan for almost a decade. Spahlinger and I corresponded over WhatsApp to chat about topics such as the NFL, increased popularity in Germany and how he became a fan of the game.
Below is our conversation, which has been translated from German to English with integrity.
McLean: “I wanted to start by asking you to describe how you began watching and following the NFL?”
Spahlinger: “Before the year [season] 2013–2014, only the Super Bowl was brought from America to free German TV. Me and my friends always watched the highlights from ‘Biggest Hits’, and there I found my favorite player, Kam Chancellor.”
“From there on, I watched the highlights of the games on Youtube and then I found my favorite team, the Seahawks. After Super Bowl 48, two games from every regular season week came to free german TV, which I started watching every weekend. Then, every week I watched the NFL on my cell phone app, NFL Game Pass, Youtube and free German cable.
McLean: “Wow, you got into really fast! From your personal experiences, or people you know, or what you have seen and read, do you think that American-style football is increasing in popularity in Europe and Germany? If so, do you have any examples as to why?”
Spahlinger: “Definitely. Before Super Bowl 48, American football was only a side-sport in Germany. There were barely any viewers, and even if any watched, it was just the Super Bowl. After that game and the new TV options, the fan base became bigger and more people got more excited about the sport.”
“Outside of that, you can also see more and more people wearing football jerseys in German cities, so that’s a sign that the popularity of football is growing.”
McLean: “That is really cool to hear, especially more people wearing jerseys. My next question is, if the NFL were to establish an international franchise, do you think it would be successful?”
Spahlinger: “With this question, there really isn’t a clear yes or no. The games in London are super popular. The Wembley Stadium is always packed full and fans everywhere in Europe get excited that they can watch a real football game. Currently, London would completely dominate the international football market.”
“I think an expansion of the game, especially more games in London and around Europe would be really successful. Germany has many nice and big stadiums, especially for football fans, which would be lucrative for the NFL.”
McLean: “And why is that?”
Spahlinger: “A complete season, or possibly shortened season, or a European tournament could be interesting and worthwhile for the NFL as well. Then you would ask, if enough fans would still come to the games, if it wasn’t just a special series and then the special aspect wears off.”
McLean: “Yeah, it’s kind of hard to determine, since there has never been a full-time, established club.”
McLean: “To wrap up, I wanted to talk about how the NFL could build stronger relationships with international fans. As a fan here in Germany, what would you like to see happen?”
Spahlinger: “Definitely more games in Europe, and even two or more games directly in Germany. Germany probably has the biggest football fanbase in Europe, and should finally get a game series here. The stadium would be instantly sold out, I have no doubts, and the NFL could sell way more jerseys, and I think then the popularity would greatly increase.”
McLean: “I completely agree with that.”
Spahlinger: “Another thing I thought would be cool, would be the NFL throwing the German flag on a jersey or a name that says “European fan”, so that European fans feel more special and we could buy more things. I also think a special shop here would be nice, because for fans here, to buy stuff directly from the American shops comes with such high prices and shipping.”
Spahlinger: “At the end of the day, I just want to see the NFL come here. We are excited, we are loyal fans, and we would love to be a part of the community and have access to live games and see the players.”
Getting a better understanding of how an international fan sees the NFL was a really enlightening experience. As American fans, we may take for granted the ease of access and consistency that sports provide us.
The international community is growing, and with that a desire for connection with the league and the sport of football. Perhaps the foundation of a team abroad is still far on the horizon, but additional series could prove beneficial for the NFL.
