NFL games returning to Munich in 2026, ’28

The NFL is returning to Munich with regular-season games scheduled for 2026 and 2028.

The league now has a multiyear partnership with the German city and FC Bayern Munich and the upcoming games are to be set in the soccer team’s stadium, which also hosted the NFL in 2022 and 2024.

Under the agreement, the NFL will help the city to grow and develop flag football in Germany.

The NFL labeled Germany “a key market for the NFL globally, with more than 20 million fans of the game, the largest fanbase in Europe.”

“Germany is of huge strategic importance for the NFL in Europe, and our return to Munich signals the league’s long-term commitment to playing games in the market,” said Alexander Steinforth, general manager of NFL DACH, which serves Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “As the first host of regular season games in Germany, Munich holds a very special place in the hearts of our fans and we look forward to continuing to create memorable experiences for them while building a year-round NFL presence across this city and country.”

The league already has scheduled regular-season games for Germany’s capital, Berlin, in 2027 and 2029.

The NFL is building its roster of international games for the upcoming seasons, and already has announced two games in London, one in Rio de Janeiro and one in Melbourne, Australia, for 2026. The Los Angeles Rams have been named the home team for the Australia game.

Germany has hosted five NFL games previously, dating back to the 2022 season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2024; Sao Paulo, BRA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before a game in Brazil between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles at Neo Quimica Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL commissioner: International market can support NFL team

London vs. Los Angeles in the Super Bowl?

An NFL team in Europe seems to move closer to reality every year, with Roger Goodell suggesting in a CNBC interview this week that multiple cities could be targets for an NFL franchise.

“There are markets that could certainly support a team,” Goodell said. “We’ve always focused on, what are the competitive consequences of that? Can we manage that? And so every year we try to learn something from the international series.”

That international series has grown from a single game per year in England going as far back as 2007 when the New York Giants earned a 13-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Single games continued through 2012 before two games were played in London.

There will be three separate games in England at two different locations this year, as part of an international series that will include seven games in 2025.

In addition to the three England games, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers opened their schedule in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Germany, Ireland and Spain also will host games. The Los Angeles Rams are set to play a game in Australia in 2026.

“I would say that the markets outside the U.S. are very, very attractive,” Goodell said. “And we’ve got pretty good coverage here.”

The logistics of having a team across the Atlantic Ocean present a huge obstacle. In that sense, it might be more attractive for the NFL to have multiple teams in Europe.

“It starts to give you a sense of, can you do certain things that are going to be necessary from a scheduling standpoint and a training standpoint?” Goodell said. “When we first came up with the idea of (an international) regular-season game, I didn’t think there would be as much support. But now, every team wants to do it. We don’t have to talk them into it. They’re asking us.”

–Field Level Media

MGM, Caesars Among Founding Members of Sports Betting Integrity Monitoring Group

MGM and Caesars are among the members of a new not-for-profit that will monitor integrity in sports betting. The organization, the Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association, will bring together key gaming stakeholders, including state and tribal regulatory bodies, federal, state and tribal law enforcement, in an effort to uncover and prevent fraud and other illegal activities related to sports betting and sporting events.

The group is modeled after the Europe Sport Security Association which monitors sports betting and sports events for fraud. 888Sport, PaddyPower/BetFair and William Hill are among ESSA’s members. According to SportTechie.com, ESSA was involved in the creation of SWIMA and the two organizations plan to work together to monitor integrity.

 
 

Read more MGM, Caesars Among Founding Members of Sports Betting Integrity Monitoring Group on SportsHandle.