Photo Courtesy of Bob Scheer-USA TODAY Sports
On Sunday, November 9, 2025, the Indianapolis Colts will host the Atlanta Falcons at Berlin’s iconic Olympiastadion. That’s the first regular-season NFL game to be played in Germany. The matchup is therefore a historic one and part of the NFL’s broader effort to expand abroad.
It’s expected that the game will be attended by as many as 70,000 fans. It shows that the NFL is growing in popularity in Europe and that other teams will soon expand into markets abroad.
What to Expect from the Game
According to this Stake review, betting sites are factoring in the home team advantage for this game, but since it’s played in Berlin, there isn’t one. Gambling sites like these offer live odds and easy transfer options with low fees.
The Colts are riding strong form. The early-season successes have given them confidence, and the Falcons can rely on what they have—primarily establishing the run —and create matchups in the passing game. However, most experts believe the Falcons have a slight edge in this one, given how the two teams compare.
NFL Global Markets Program
The game is part of this NFL program, which aims to expand NFL games into global markets. It was initiated in 2022 to obtain marketing rights for NFL teams. In 2025, 32 teams will have these rights abroad, and they’ve been working to find European fans.
Building a European fan base and promoting the NFL in Europe are among the game’s main goals, and that’s what it will be remembered for long after the results are forgotten. That’s how the fans and the leagues are treating the matchup, and the atmosphere will be celebratory with the results reduced to an afterthought.
Atlanta Falcons and German Fans
The Atlanta Falcons have already established a fan base in Germany. That fan base has grown steadily over the years, and fans have traveled to the US to attend their games. In May 2024, the Falcons received official marketing rights in Germany.
Since then, the team has organized fan events, promotions, social media campaigns, and community initiatives among local fans. This game will further expand and solidify such efforts, especially because for some fans it will be the first time seeing the team in person.
Indianapolis in Germany
The Colts will be treated as the home team in Berlin. Like the Falcons, they’ve also been granted marketing rights in Germany and have used them to cultivate relationships with fans. They played a game in Frankfurt in 2023, and the fans received it very well.
Former Colts player Björn Werner serves as the team’s ambassador in the DACH region. The fan base is still very small, but that’s probably because the NFL still isn’t as popular in Europe as it would like to be.
NFL International Footprint
American Football has always been intriguing to Europeans, and the league works to create a diverse global fan base. European and South American markets are the most important in this regard, but the Asian market is also significant, especially in recent years. Munich and Frankfurt are the centers of these efforts in Germany.
This year, the NFL has seen or will see games played in Brazil, Ireland, the UK, and Spain, in addition to the one played in Germany. This is a much-expanded schedule, and many of these games will be played in those countries at least for regular-season games. Experts claim that in the season to come, these games could become regular occurrences.
A Bigger Picture
There are very few cultural barriers at this point, and American sports are the world’s sports, with fans spread across the globe. Europeans are affluent and sports-obsessed, making them a perfect market for the NFL and its exclusive broadcasting rights. Entering these markets is therefore lucrative and can help the teams expand.
If the game goes well and the fans are happy with the experience, it will show that the league has made a good call with these international efforts and that it can double down on them in future games. Local fans of American franchises will also expand and create a stronger bond with the team.
To Sum Up
The Indianapolis Colts will host the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin. This November game will be the first time the two teams play abroad during a regular NFL season. The Falcons have a slight edge, even though the Colts are off to a better start.
But the buzz isn’t about who will win, but about moving the NFL abroad and finding fans in Germany and beyond. The NFL has been working on getting the rights to market abroad for a while, and it has had a lot of success in Europe and beyond.
