Bundesliga and NFL extend agreement to grow across both markets
The Bundesliga and NFL have renewed their cooperation agreement, supporting the German league’s push to grow in the United States and the NFL’s efforts to stage games in Germany.
The Bundesliga and the National Football League announced on November 10 that they had extended a memorandum of understanding first agreed in 2022. The leagues will continue to work together on marketing, live events and content featuring both sports, as well as sharing expertise on staging games and reaching fans in each other’s markets.The agreement covers support for NFL games in Germany and Bundesliga projects in the United States. Over the past four years, the NFL has staged five regular-season games at German football grounds in Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin.Bundesliga chief executive Steffen Merkel said: “The renewal of our MOU with the NFL is a pivotal step in the Bundesliga’s continued expansion in the United States. "This collaboration not only deepens the connection between the NFL and Bundesliga but also plays a key role in our overall growth strategy in the US market.”The Bundesliga has used NFL events to introduce its clubs and former players to American audiences. At the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, former Borussia Dortmund player Patrick Owomoyela announced the Steelers’ sixth-round selection, while former Bayern Munich defender Rafinha joined former New England Patriots players Brian Hoyer and Sebastian Vollmer at a watch party before a Patriots home game against the Buffalo Bills in December 2025.The German league has also had a presence at the past two Super Bowls, with former Bundesliga players Claudio Pizarro and Roman Weidenfeller representing it in New Orleans and San Francisco.NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “The partnership between the NFL and the Bundesliga demonstrates the value of bringing two of the world’s leading sports leagues together. By extending our collaboration, we can continue to learn from each other, create new experiences for fans and explore innovative ways to grow our sports in Germany, the United States and around the world.”The leagues have worked together outside their home markets, too. In September, former NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri set a Guinness World Records title by kicking a field goal at an altitude of 3,454 metres in the Swiss Alps, with former Bayern Munich striker Giovane Élber holding the ball.The NFL relationship sits alongside the Bundesliga’s 17-year collaboration with Relevent Sports, which covers media rights, regional sponsorships, events, local content and grassroots programmes. While the Relevent agreement covers how the Bundesliga sells and markets its product in the US, the NFL partnership gives it a way to reach American sports fans at events such as the draft and Super Bowl.