Germany edges past UK as Europe’s leading market for NFL

By KEN MAGUIRE
AP Sports Writer

MUNICH (AP) — The NFL’s popularity in Germany has been growing at a rapid pace. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Seahawks at Allianz Arena in Munich on Sunday in the first-ever regular-season NFL game in Germany. Over the next three seasons, Munich will host another one and Frankfurt two. With Europe’s largest economy, Germany was a no-brainer for the NFL. Now it has surpassed Britain as the league’s largest market in Europe by revenue and fan base. Germany always had a strong American football following. NFL Europe ultimately failed but by its final season in 2007, five of the six remaining teams were in Germany. But interest really took off after 2015, when games became easily accessible to viewers on a free-to-air channel.