The Chiefs have commercial rights in Germany under the league’s global markets program, meaning they can sign corporate sponsorship deals, hold events to attract fans and sell merchandise as they do in their home markets. That country list includes Austria and Switzerland, as well as Mexico.
The NFL added a 17th game to the schedule to facilitate playing more games abroad, and it is reviewing Spain and Brazil as future hosts, one of them possibly for the 2024 season.“It can be looked at as maybe arrogant. I like to look at it as ambitious, but we want to be the world’s team,” Donovan said. “We think the opportunity exists today for us to set a foothold that we are the world’s team, that people look at the Chiefs as an international representation of the NFL.”
They say they have some numbers to back it up, too. The NFL told the Chiefs that they are No. 2 in “revenue generated from the international markets,” Donovan said. He declined to say which team is first, and the NFL didn’t comment.The Chiefs have played two other regular-season international games, winning in Mexico City in 2019 and in London four years earlier.
This one is different, though. The global markets program only took effect in January 2022, the Chiefs have another Lombardi Trophy, and Mahomes is increasingly the face of the league following the retirement of Tom Brady.
“From our standpoint, we’re going to be aggressive in looking at additional markets, and we’re going to be aggressive in looking at additional games,” Donovan said. “We think games are the best way to have that foothold activation.”With the league studying Spain and Brazil, those two countries are atop Kansas City’s list of potential next markets, Donovan said.
The Chiefs are “talking to the league” about ways to play more international games. As is, they are a big draw around the U.S., so other teams don’t want to give up the revenue that comes with a visit from Chiefs Kingdom. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for example, rejected the Chiefs as the “away” team for their game in Munich last season, Donovan said.
Kansas City is the designated “home” team in Frankfurt, as will be the New England Patriots next week against the Indianapolis Colts.