Every NFL Team Now Holds Marketing Rights Abroad

Welcome back. On Sunday, Pedro Sampaio and Ricky Martin played the halftime show at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, capping a week of NFL fan events across the city. Today’s feature covers the marketing rights the league gives its clubs in other countries and the games abroad still to come this fall.

The Dallas Cowboys gave up a home game this season to play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, where a crowd of 72,792 watched the NFL’s first regular-season game in the city. Baltimore won, 34-31, on a 56-yard field goal by Tyler Loop as time expired. Neither team has marketing rights in Brazil. The league gave the country to the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles under its Global Markets Program.

The NFL awarded its first territories in December 2021, when the program was called International Home Marketing Areas, and set terms of at least five years beginning Jan. 1, 2022. That announcement listed corporate sponsorship sales, merchandise sales, fan events and youth football among the activities clubs could pursue abroad, the same work the league allows them in their home markets. Clubs apply for new countries each spring through the league’s International Committee, and every team now holds at least one, according to the NFL’s March announcement.

Miami was the only club assigned Brazil in the 2021 allocation, and New England joined it in 2024. That September, the Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo in the first regular-season game played in South America, and the next spring the league added Brazil for Philadelphia, which now runs a Brazil-specific Instagram account, and Detroit. When the NFL committed last September to play at least three regular-season games in Rio over five years, Gov. Cláudio Castro of Rio de Janeiro said in the announcement that “Brazil is now the second-largest consumer of American football outside the United States.” The same release said the four clubs’ Brazil rights support a range of media and brand partnerships.

The territory map

Mexico drew the largest group in the 2021 allocation, nine clubs including the Cowboys, and 10 clubs still hold it today. It is still the only country on Dallas’s list.

Baltimore stayed out of the program for its first three years, one of seven clubs that had not signed on before 2025, and joined that year with rights in the United Kingdom, where the Ravens had played in 2017 and 2023. Brad Downs, the club’s senior vice president of marketing, said in the announcement that the team already had “a strong support system in place from our UK Ravens community.” The same March 2025 announcement opened the United Arab Emirates to the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, though none of this season’s international games are scheduled there.

This year the league added Italy for the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, and the Las Vegas Raiders took on Canada, the UAE and the UK, bringing their list to six countries. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Rams have the longest lists, seven countries each.

Miami’s six countries are Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Spain and the UK. When the Dolphins opened their season in Las Vegas on Sept. 13, the team held official watch parties in four of them, drawing more than 400 fans in Mexico City and about 150 each in São Paulo, Barcelona, and Buenos Aires, where the club held what it called its first official watch party in Argentina. More than 70 fans turned out for a fifth party in Rio.

Seven more games abroad

Rio was the second of nine regular-season games the NFL will play outside the United States this season, up from seven in 2025 and five in 2024. Three of them fall on consecutive Sundays in London, starting Oct. 4, when the Commanders host the Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Jaguars, whose rights cover the UK and Ireland, follow with home games against the Eagles at Tottenham on Oct. 11 and the Texans at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 18. Jacksonville took a second London home game this year while EverBank Stadium is under renovation, and the Wembley date will be the team’s 16th game in the city. Owner Shad Khan said in the club’s schedule announcement that the Jaguars look forward to “connecting with fans in London and throughout the UK.”

The Saints, the first club awarded France, host the Steelers on Oct. 25 at Stade de France, outside Paris, in the league’s first regular-season game in the country. The Falcons meet the Bengals at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid on Nov. 8. The 49ers, whose territories include Mexico, finish the international slate on Nov. 22 against the Vikings at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City, the NFL’s first game in Mexico since 2022.

The Lions host the Patriots on Nov. 15 at Allianz Arena in Munich, and both teams have rights in Germany. Detroit has held Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 2024 and introduced a German mascot, Leo Löwe. It has hosted Thanksgiving watch parties in Cologne two years running, and in 2025 it released a streetwear line with the German designer MiDNIGHT. Rod Wood, then the Lions’ president and chief executive, said in February that the team had “invested greatly in the German market.”

The Patriots began their countdown on Sept. 22, when the Hall of Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri made a Guinness-certified field goal on the Jungfraujoch, 11,332 feet up in the Swiss Alps, during an event staged with Jungfrau Railways. Sebastian Vollmer, a Neuss native who won two Super Bowls as a Patriots offensive tackle, said in the team’s release that he sees every week “how many people in Germany, Austria and Switzerland stand by this team.” The NFL said in February that 11 clubs hold rights in Germany, and it has scheduled games in Berlin in 2027 and 2029 and in Munich again in 2028.

Fan Sentiment Index, Edition 11: The index climbed 20 points to 109 for the week of Sept. 22-28, its highest reading yet. Ticket pricing drew 32 percent of the fan posts we scored, and most of the anger landed on resale. StubHub scored -80 on fees that overshadow the listed price, and Ticketmaster scored -77 on fee-heavy resale and the monopoly verdict. On the positive side, Illinois student season tickets sold out in nine minutes, according to a student-section post, and AC Grand Rapids, an MLS Next Pro expansion club, passed 6,000 season-ticket deposits. Spectrum, CBS and SNY earned credit for access fixes.

Dr. Charles Harris Jr. → Vice President of Technology, Spurs Sports & Entertainment
Spurs Sports & Entertainment hired Harris to lead technology across its teams and venues, including the upcoming new downtown arena. He holds a doctorate in modeling and simulation from the University of Central Florida and a master’s degree in technology from Purdue. He had been vice president of technology for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he joined in 2023.

Chris Presson → Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Commercial Officer, Syracuse University
Presson will oversee sponsorship, ticketing, premium seating, licensing and merchandising for Syracuse Athletics, reporting to the athletic director, Bryan Blair. He comes from Rock Entertainment Group, the Cavaliers’ parent company, where he was senior vice president of business operations. From 2019 to 2021 he was president and chief executive of the Canadian Football League franchise in Edmonton, which changed its name from Eskimos to Elks during his tenure. Before that he spent five years as president of the Arizona Rattlers and launched the G League’s Northern Arizona Suns.

John Rosasco → Senior Vice President, Communications, Vegas Golden Knights
Rosasco started with the New York Rangers as a student in 1987 and became their public relations director in 1996. The club later named him senior vice president of public relations and player recruitment, a job that made him the team spokesman and put him in charge of free-agent recruiting. He also spent time as a senior advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Shawn Kilcoyne → Director of Revenue Analytics and Insights, Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium
Kilcoyne was promoted from manager of the same group, which serves both the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. The team’s front-office roster places him with the ticket sales and membership services staff. The Dolphins are also hiring a director of digital growth marketing to run renewal and win-back campaigns for ticket and membership customers, a job we featured last week.

Josh Meek → Vice President of Strategy and Analytics, Buffalo Sabres
Meek arrives from Vinik Sports Group in Tampa, where he was director of strategy and analytics. He previously worked at NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation and the Orlando Magic. The Sabres promoted four business executives to senior vice president this month, in marketing, communications, content and finance.

Amy Schmitz → Chief Human Resources Officer, Milwaukee Bucks
Schmitz held the same title at StarPlus Energy, the Stellantis and Samsung SDI battery venture in Kokomo, Ind. She holds an M.B.A. and a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification. Before StarPlus, she spent more than a decade at Cummins, where her roles included executive director of human resources for mergers and acquisitions.

Chloe Hyde → Social Media Coordinator, Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Hyde was promoted from social media assistant after her first season with the Chicago Cubs’ Single-A affiliate. She creates and schedules posts for the club’s social accounts, covers games live and helps promote giveaways and theme nights. A graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in sports and media, she competed in cross country and track and field there for four years.

Director, Business Development | TKO Global Partnerships (New York)
Owns new business development for UFC, WWE or both, selling media, sponsorship and integrated partnership assets to brands and their agencies. Deals run from initial pitch through contract close, onboarding and long-term account growth, and the director hosts clients and prospects at UFC and WWE live events. The target is multiyear, seven-figure partnerships for two of the most recognized properties on the planet. Learn more and apply here.

Managing Director, Corporate Events | NASCAR (Charlotte)
Leads the corporate events team and the strategy, planning and execution of NASCAR’s corporate event portfolio. The managing director is the senior on-site leader at major corporate events and manages event budgets, forecasting and contracts. Event plans come together with teams including entertainment, premium hospitality, show production and live event operations. Learn more and apply here.

Director of Premium Services & Engagement | Charlotte Hornets (Charlotte)
Oversees service, retention and engagement strategy for all premium accounts at Hornets home games and Spectrum Center events, reporting to the vice president of premium sales and service. The director manages a team of premium account managers and is responsible for maximizing renewal and upsell revenue among suite holders, club seat members and corporate partners. The job also includes generating new business directly and using the new premium platform to enhance client value. Learn more and apply here.

Director of Arena Marketing | Houston Rockets / Toyota Center (Houston)
Runs marketing for all concerts, events and shows at Toyota Center and oversees the arena marketing budget. Campaigns cover advertising, grassroots outreach and public relations for non-tenant and third-party events, and the job covers every promoter marketing need from event announcement to show execution. Each campaign can draw on team assets through the Rockets and Comets marketing department. Learn more and apply here.

Senior Director, Human Resources | LA Kings / AEG Sports (Los Angeles)
Heads the HR team for the AEG Sports properties, including the LA Kings and Ontario Reign, and advises business leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, talent strategy and change initiatives. The HR budget and workforce plan belong to this position, along with the performance review and merit increase processes. As the senior HR liaison between AEG corporate partners and the properties, this leader shapes how enterprise programs are implemented locally. Learn more and apply here.

Senior Director, Business Development | NWSL (New York)
Reports to the head of business development and sells the programs and platforms that drive activations and partner marketing campaigns, fueling revenue growth for the league. Prospects are senior marketing leaders at Fortune 500 companies in open and strategic categories. This director also owns weekly and monthly reporting to senior leadership and the Commercial Committee. The NWSL is in its 14th season with 16 clubs, and new top sponsors are investing in the brand. Learn more and apply here.

Assistant Athletic Director, Enterprise Operations & Strategy | Clemson University Athletics (Clemson, S.C.)
Supports the chief operating officer on enterprise strategic initiatives and cross-functional transformation, leading defined projects and workstreams. The largest share of the job, 40 percent, goes to enterprise performance management, which means coordinating key performance measures and setting the rhythms for reviewing progress against strategic priorities. Another 30 percent covers building and improving the department’s enterprise operating model with the Operational Excellence team. Learn more and apply here.

Databricks × Cal Athletics: Cal’s football field is now Databricks Field at California Memorial Stadium under a multiyear deal, facilitated by Learfield, that also makes Databricks the Official Enterprise Data + AI platform for Cal Athletics. Cal says the agreement is Databricks’ first collegiate athletics sponsorship and the largest in the athletic department’s history. The deal will be funded through UC Berkeley becoming a shareholder in Databricks. Starting Oct. 3 at UNLV, Cal football helmets will carry a Databricks decal, a placement no earlier ACC brand partnership had included, according to the school.

Mazda × Los Angeles Chargers: Mazda signed a multiyear partnership with the Chargers, its first with an NFL team, and will present the team’s annual Legends Homecoming game against the Houston Texans on Nov. 8. Its package includes digital signage throughout SoFi Stadium at every Chargers home game and sponsorship of the team’s Threads of the Past uniform exhibit at The Bolt. Mazda and the team will also recognize four local educators over the season through Be Moved, the automaker’s community engagement initiative.

La Costeña and Jumex × UTSA Athletics: UTSA Athletics made La Costeña its official jalapeño, a first in NCAA history, according to the release. Jumex, which the announcement describes as the first Mexican beverage brand to sponsor an NCAA program, is part of the same expanded sponsorship, brokered by Playfly Sports through UTSA Sports Properties. La Costeña signage appears at football and baseball games, and Jumex keeps its presence at football.

SharkNinja × McLaren Racing: McLaren Racing added SharkNinja as an Official Partner in a multiyear agreement covering the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team, McLaren Hypercar Team and McLaren F1 Academy. SharkNinja also joins the McLaren Racing Accelerator Programme, where it will draw on the team’s engineering expertise for future product development.

Athleta × Golden State Valkyries: Athleta, the Gap Inc. women’s performance and lifestyle apparel brand, becomes the Valkyries’ Official Off-Court Apparel Partner in a multiyear deal. The partnership includes in-arena placements at Chase Center and Bay Area community programming aimed at girls in sport, and exclusive co-branded merchandise will go on sale at the team store in 2027.

Jefferson Health × Lehigh Valley IronPigs: Jefferson Health takes over the naming rights to the IronPigs’ ballpark in Allentown, Pa., which becomes Jefferson Park in 2027. Coca-Cola, whose name has been on the park since it opened in 2008, chose not to renew but remains the team’s exclusive beverage provider. The Triple-A club led Minor League Baseball in total attendance for a fourth straight season in 2026, with 559,602 fans.

Van Wagner × University of West Florida Athletics: UWF Athletics named Van Wagner its exclusive multimedia rights and corporate sponsorship partner in a long-term agreement. The Argonauts are in their first season of Division I competition, as a full multi-sport member of the Atlantic Sun Conference with football in the United Athletic Conference. Van Wagner will manage sponsorship across venue signage, digital and social media, promotions, hospitality and experiential activations for a program that won 11 national championships in Division II.

See you next Wednesday.