The NFL has expanded its Global Markets Program, with four new teams and five new markets set to participate in 2024 following approval today from the International Committee at the league's annual meeting in Orlando. The four new teams in the program this year are the Browns (granted rights in Nigeria); Lions (Austria, Canada, Germany and Switzerland); Colts (Austria and Germany); and Giants (Germany). The five new markets included in 2024 are Nigeria; Argentina (rights granted to the Dolphins); Colombia (Dolphins); Japan (Rams); and South Korea (Rams). In addition, six clubs that currently hold GMP rights will expand to additional countries -- the Rams (currently with rights in Australia, China, Mexico and New Zealand, expanding to South Korea and Japan); Dolphins (currently in Brazil, Spain and the U.K., expanding to Argentina, Colombia and Mexico); Patriots (currently in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, expanding to Brazil); Jets (currently in U.K., expanding to Ireland); Steelers (currently in Mexico, Ireland and Northern Ireland, expanding to Germany); and Seahawks (currently in Canada, expanding to Austria, Germany and Switzerland) (NFL).
SBJ's Ben Fischer back in February hinted that several teams would submit bids to the league to join the program and laid out the reasons why.
The Browns are the first NFL team to be awarded the Nigerian market, a designation that "hits close to home within the Browns locker room" -- TE David Njoku is of Nigerian decent and his parents immigrated to the U.S. (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 3/25). The Patriots being awarded rights in Brazil is significant because Massachusetts has the second-highest Brazilian population behind Florida in the U.S. (BOSTON HERALD, 3/25). The Lions will "create specific engagement strategies tailored to the unique characteristics of each market," including the "launch of social media profiles in the native languages of each respective area" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/25).
