Carolina Panthers to play 2024 NFL International Series game in Munich

The NFL announced on Thursday morning that the Carolina Panthers will play one of its NFL International Series games in Munich, Germany next season. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars will each play international games as well, all in London during the 2024 regular season.

“It’s an honor for the Carolina Panthers to play in Munich in 2024,” Panthers owner David Tepper said, via the team’s release. “This game represents more than playing internationally for us. With more than 200 German-owned companies in the Charlotte area, this opportunity offers a special connection for the Panthers and our community. We are excited to deepen our relationships with our German fans, engage with our partners, and continue to grow our brand globally.”

In Dec. of 2021, the NFL granted the Carolina Panthers marketing rights in Germany as part of the Global Markets Program (GMP). Other teams with GMP programs in the country are the Buccaneers, Falcons, Chiefs and Patriots.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the NFL to our Allianz Arena for the second time,” said Andreas Jung, chief marketing officer of FC Bayern Munich. “The match in autumn 2022 was an unforgettable experience, and we want to build on that. Since we played in the Carolina Panthers’ stadium in Charlotte in the summer of 2016, it’s a great story to welcome the Panthers to Munich.”

Though there will only be five international games in 2024, there could be as many as eight games played outside of the U.S. in 2025.

NFL International expanding to South America

Back in October, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told a fan forum in London that the league is looking to add another international site by 2024. Then, the NFL’s team owners confirmed Brazil as the next host country. The designated team for the historic first game in São Paulo has yet to be revealed.

Brazil claims an NFL fan base of roughly 38 million with 8.3 million considered “avid fans,” according to the league. The game in São Paulo would be one of five regular season games to be played internationally in 2024.

The NFL played five international games this season, with the contests scheduled in October and November. The first game was at Wembley Stadium in London, followed by two contests at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The November games moved to Germany and Frankfurt Stadium.

The NFL has played regular-season games out of the country since 2005. The first was at Estadio Azteca (stadium) in Mexico City. Previously, the league played some preseason games on foreign soil. There even was an American Bowl, which was played from 1986 to 2005. The bowl game found its way to the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Germany, Canada, Japan, Mexico and Australia.