NFL hopes Falcons, Colts can create mini-Super Bowl environment in Berlin
FLOWERY BRANCH — The NFL is looking forward to holding its first regular-season game in Berlin when the Falcons play the Colts on Sunday at Olympic Stadium.
“Five international games so far, Sao Paulo, Dublin, London, they’ve been incredible,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, international and league events. “We’re really excited to finish up with these games in two new amazing cities, Berlin and Madrid. Games in three new cities in ‘25 really underscores the momentum and the ever increasing global nature of our game. These games are a real catalyst.”
Both teams are set to travel later this week.
“(The Falcons-Colts game) will be another milestone in our history, first-ever regular-season game in Berlin and the first to be played in Germany since 2023,” O’Reilly said.
The Falcons and Colts are two of the 11 teams with global marketing rights in Germany.
“It’s really a special moment for both the NFL and Berlin,” O’Reilly said. “It’s been 30 years since the NFL last played in this great city. We played five (exhibition) games — American Bowls — in Berlin between 1990 and 1994. This is the first regular-season game in Berlin will be a significant moment for us and a broader cultural unifier.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell played a central role in taking those exhibition games to Berlin in the early ’90s. There will also be a tribute to the 36th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“We’ll do a moment in pregame that certainly highlights that anniversary,” O’Reilly said. “Also connects in a way that points back to that those games in the early ’90s, specifically that 1990 game that took place around a year, soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall.”
Germany has the largest fan base for American football of the countries in Europe. That base was built during the World League of American Football, NFL Europe and NFL Europa days (1989-2007). Falcons offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford played for the Rhein Fire out of Düsseldorf.
“We’ve seen it the last few years in our games in Germany, but the passionate German fan base that we have will be on full display this week and this weekend, there are 20 million NFL fans in Germany,” O’Reilly said. “It’s our largest fan base in Europe.”
There will be marketing opportunities for the Falcons.
“Our global markets program will play a major role in this week, with all 11 NFL clubs who have marketing rights in Germany activating in Berlin this week with team-themed fan zones and beer house takeovers and community events,” O’Reilly said. “So the NFL fans and those fans of those teams can really experience the full Berlin week and weekend.”
The Falcons have several special fan events planned around the game, too.
“We chose Germany for us, we also have great partners in Mercedes-Benz and Delta, it’s a huge hub for them,” Falcons president Greg Beadles said. “As you know, we’re huge supporters of the military. You always see all of the military things we do every year. Germany has the second most military bases in the world for the U.S.”
Falcons legends Jessie Tuggle and Todd McClure will headline the Falcons Haus fan celebration Saturday.
“We’ve seen really strong demand around this game and strong interest in all of these fan events,” O’Reilly said.
Australian rapper Kid Laroi will perform at halftime of the game.
“We hope (we bring a) feel like a mini-Super Bowl to Berlin in these days ahead for fans from Germany and all over the world,” O’Reilly said. “Creating world-class experiences, not only for those who are fortunate enough to be in the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, but also throughout the week, engaging fans and the sport.”
The NFL Experience Berlin will be located at the Brandenburg Gate as a three-day free fan event in the heart of the city.
“We’re putting a very cool flag field, installing that right by the Brandenburg Gate,” O’Reilly said. “We’ll also have an NFL shop that’s actually already open and located in the heart of Berlin, that fans can access exclusive merchandise and some really cool local collaborations.”
Falcons kicker Lenny Krieg, is a native of Berlin, and was attracted to American football after playing soccer most of his youth.
“I think it was the feeling of being on a big team, having a lot of different athletes on one team,” Krieg said. “Which is kind of different than soccer because everyone has to be somewhat pretty fast, same build somewhat. So yeah, just having that feeling a lot of different kind of people, really big team, and just like the brotherhood. I felt that I was really special to me.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
