A major event in the US sporting calendar, the NFL Draft is the selection process where the league’s teams secure the cream of the nation’s talent from the college American football system.

From April 30 until May 2, the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University will host Chicago’s first draft since 1964, the year before it began a long-time residency in New York.

Radio City Music Hall has provided an iconic setting for the NFL Draft since 2006 but a scheduling conflict encouraged the league to seek pastures new.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “We look forward to returning the event to the city of Chicago and working with the city, Choose Chicago, and the Chicago Sports Commission to create a week-long celebration of football for our fans. Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel and the city of Chicago presented us with numerous ways to enhance the Draft experience for our fans and incoming players.”

Chicago also hosted the draft in 1938, from 1942 to 1944, 1951 and 1962 to 1964. The 2015 NFL Draft will be the 80th edition.

Emanuel added: “Next year, NFL fans from across the country will travel here or tune in as the future of their team is decided in Chicago. We look forward to working with the Chicago Bears, the NFL, and our neighbourhood partners to make this an event that highlights our world class city and reinvests in our communities.”

A record-breaking audience of 45.7 million people tuned in across the NFL Network, ESPN and ESPN2 to watched Houston Texans make Jadeveon Clowney the first overall pick in 2014, surpassing the previous best audience figure of 45.4 million for 2010.

Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh and Los Angeles have also hosted the NFL Draft in the past.

American football’s NFL has proposed that musicians should have to pay to perform at the coveted Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The proposal received a “chilly reception” from Coldplay, Katy Perry and Rihanna, the three musicians under consideration for the 2015 show, according to the Wall Street Journal newspaper.

Traditionally the NFL has not paid a performance fee to the stars of the show, although it does cover expenses for the act and the entourage.

The Halftime Show, which takes place on the pitch in the break between the second and third quarters in the NFL’s showpiece game, always attracts one of the largest global television audiences of the year.

A record audience of 115.3 million viewers tuned in for the 2014 Halftime Show on February 2 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bruno Mars taking to the stage.

According to data measurement company Nielsen, musicians who perform at the Halftime Show regularly experience a significant spike in album sales and paid digital downloads due to the exposure of the performance. Several acts have used the Halftime Show as a platform to launch a new album.

It has been reported that the NFL has proposed a revenue-sharing arrangement whereby the league would receive a portion of additional album sales income as an alternative to a flat fee from the performers.

NFL spokeswoman Joanna Hunter said that the league’s priority was to “put on the best possible show” for fans.

“When we have something to announce, we’ll announce it,” she added.

In June, Variety magazine reported that the NBC network is asking advertisers to pay $4.5m for a 30-second spot during the 2015 Super Bowl – a record figure and a 12.5-per-cent increase on the Fox network’s advertising rate card for the 2014 game.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show has attracted the biggest names in the music business over the years, with performers including The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Rolling Stones, U2, Tina Turner, Phil Collins, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, Madonna and Michael Jackson.

The 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show will take place on February 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

[Source: The Sports Consultancy] The National Football League (NFL) has confirmed that Munich has been chosen to stage the first-ever regular-season game in Germany during the 2022 season.

Following a competitive application process, FC Bayern Munich Stadium, the home of the Bundesliga champions, was selected as the venue for two of the four International Series games to be played in Germany over the next four years. Frankfurt Stadium will also host two games.

The NFL engaged London-based agency The Sports Consultancy (TSC) to design and deliver a structured host selection process, commencing in June 2021. TSC supported the NFL to engage cities across Germany, with in-house law firm TSC Legal providing contract drafting and negotiation services.

“We are very pleased to welcome Munich and Frankfurt to the NFL family and are excited to reward our fans in Germany for their passion by bringing them the spectacle of regular-season NFL football,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We look forward to staging our first game in Germany at FC Bayern Munich’s fantastic stadium later this year and to exploring areas of broader collaboration with the Bundesliga.”

The game in Munich will be one of five international games staged by the NFL in 2022, including one in Mexico and three in the UK – two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a Jacksonville Jaguars home game at Wembley Stadium. Home teams for international games will be announced in the coming weeks, with dates and matchups to be confirmed in conjunction with the 2022 NFL schedule announcement later this year.

The NFL has staged 30 regular-season games in London since 2007. As part of the NFL’s 17-game schedule, each team is required to stage at least one international game every eight years

Dieter Reiter, Lord Mayor of Munich, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the NFL International Series to Munich. It is a great honor for the state capital Munich to be the first German city to stage a regular-season NFL game. Many Munich residents are big football fans and they will be thrilled that this spectacular sporting event is coming to their city.”

"We have been collaborating with the NFL since 2014 when we opened our US office,” said Oliver Kahn, CEO of FC Bayern Munich. “Our ambition was to reach and engage fans in each other’s respective home countries. We are delighted to take this next step in our long-term partnership to host a regular-season NFL game at our home stadium.”

Frankfurt Sports Councillor Mike Josef said: “American football was and still is at home in Frankfurt. That’s why I’m very pleased about the NFL’s decision to come to Frankfurt on a regular basis. The NFL is not just coming to Frankfurt for a game. With its sustainable engagement in our community, we are sure to achieve a great boost for sports in Frankfurt. We are looking forward to working with the NFL.”

Axel Hellman, CEO of Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt, said: “We are totally excited to be hosting two matches in the next years here in Frankfurt. Welcome to Eintracht Frankfurt. Welcome to the heart of Europe.”

Bundesliga CEO Donata Hopfen said: “We are pleased that the NFL has consulted with the Bundesliga in the planning of its first regular-season NFL games in Germany. These conversations have led both leagues to agree to explore the potential of a mutually beneficial collaborative partnership, which is very exciting for clubs in both leagues.”

Host selection process

The selection process for NFL games in Germany began last year with initial expressions of interest from nine cities, after which Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich were invited to participate in a full evaluation of the opportunities offered by each city. The partnerships between the NFL and Munich and Frankfurt include a joint commitment to deliver fan engagements activities, community participation programs and other NFL initiatives.

“We are looking forward to partnerships with Munich and Frankfurt that will extend beyond the games and help us to deliver accelerated growth in Germany,” said Brett Gosper, NFL Head of Europe and UK. “The strong interest we received underlined what a fantastic opportunity regular-season games offer for a host, ranging from significant economic benefits and global exposure to the chance to become a hub for the growth of the NFL’s fan engagement, community and grassroots activities.

“We also thank Düsseldorf, which presented a strong aligned consortium with ambitious plans. We look forward to developing a partnership there, with a potential for hosting games in the future.”

The staging of regular-season games is part of the NFL’s growing commitment to Germany. The League has recently appointed Alexander Steinforth as its dedicated general manager for the territory and is committed to establishing a permanent headquarters in the country. It has also committed to investing in grassroots and community programs in Germany.

In December, the NFL announced that four NFL teams – Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – have been granted access to Germany for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization as part of its International Home Marketing Areas (IHMA) initiative.

The NFL has enjoyed a number of strong years of fan growth in Germany, where it now has 19 million fans.  Weekly NFL television viewership on partners ProSieben and DAZN has grown by more than 20 percent annually since 2017, and millions of fans tuned in for Super Bowl LV last February, making it the third consecutive season of record German Super Bowl viewership. Germany is a leading market outside North America for NFL Shop sales, fantasy football participation and sales of the Madden NFL video game.

A new survey by AFG Videoforschung found that American football has become the second-most popular television sport in Germany, with one in three people having watched in the past year.

FC Bayern Munich has won 30 national championships, 20 domestic cups and six UEFA Champions League titles, making it the most successful German team in history. The club’s unique ownership structure sees more than 290,000 club members own a majority share

Florian Kraus, Munich’s Head of Department, Education and Sport said: “It's great for the image of the sports city of Munich to be able to present this sports event, which has such international appeal. After the European Championships, it will be the second major sporting highlight this year. Anyone who follows the current NFL playoffs knows that an exciting spectacle awaits us.”

Andreas Jung, FC Bayern Munich Board Member for Marketing said: “Our state-of-the-art stadium was opened in 2005, providing one of the best atmospheres within sports. The 2022 NFL game will become our first-ever non-soccer event at the stadium, making this a landmark event. We look forward to hosting the NFL and welcoming American football fans.”

Mike Josef, Frankfurt Sports Councillor said: “Having NFL games at two venues is ideal. It shows that we as the city put a lot of effort into it and delivered, together with Eintracht Frankfurt and many supporters, a good overall concept. This gives us the opportunity to enable more fans to enjoy an NFL game after our stadium extension in 2023. The stadium will be broadcast around the world and presented to an audience of millions. The event will be a tremendous asset, not only for sports, but for our hotels, hospitality and retail in the city. Particularly in the current times, this is an important signal to all sectors of the economy in the city and the region. This strengthens the reputation of Frankfurt as a sports-city and delivers another success story for the many football fans in Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region.”

Patrik Meyer, Managing Director, Eintracht Frankfurt said: “As well as our glorious home team, Eintracht Frankfurt, this stadium has seen a lot of amazing events. But with the NFL coming to town we are really taking it to the next level. We are absolutely excited about NFL games coming to Frankfurt.”

David Knower, Frankfurt Galaxy/Advisory Board of the European League of Football: “As an American in Germany I am thrilled the NFL has chosen to play games here. We love the old days of the NFL Europe. We are very excited by the Frankfurt Galaxy here now, but the ultimate prize is an NFL game in Germany and in Frankfurt.”

Those wishing to register their interest in attending and receiving further information about the first NFL regular-season game in Munich should visit: www.nfl.com/munich  

[Source: The Sports Consultancy] The National Football League today announced the launch of a process to identify a partner city for regular-season games in Germany.

The NFL, which has staged 28 games in London since 2007 and will play two more at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October, is aiming to find the most suitable German city for a possible expansion of the International Series into mainland Europe.

NFL regular-season games, which have also been played in Mexico and Canada, provide a platform for cities to be showcased around the world, as they host the NFL’s unique blend of intense competition, high-level athleticism, entertainment and fan engagement.

“The International Series has become a highlight of the sporting calendar in the UK, with many fans travelling from Germany to attend,” said Brett Gosper, NFL Head of UK and Europe. “We are very excited about the development of our German fan base, and the time is right to identify a partner who can execute a game at NFL standards as part of our international growth strategy.

“This process is designed to explore potential local partnerships, stadium suitability and game logistics. We need engaged and motivated host partners that span the public sector, venue, sport, community and major event spheres and can help us deliver a high-impact event and a long-term partnership. Identifying a preferred host city is a key step in bringing regular-season NFL games to our millions of German fans.”

The process follows a number of strong years of fan growth in Germany.  Weekly NFL television viewership on partners ProSieben and DAZN has grown by more than 20 percent annually since 2017, and millions of fans tuned in for Super Bowl LV, making it the third consecutive season of record German Super Bowl viewership. Germany is a leading market outside North America for NFL Shop sales, fantasy football participation and sales of the Madden NFL video game.

The NFL has engaged London-based The Sports Consultancy to assist in the process, including working with interested cities to develop their proposals.

NFL owners recently demonstrated their commitment to international growth by passing a resolution stating that from 2022 onwards all 32 clubs will play internationally at least once every eight years, ensuring diversity of participating teams and long-term inventory. Up to four neutral site games per year will be scheduled outside the US.

German-born players are making an increasing impact on the NFL, with fullback Jakob Johnson a regular starter for the New England Patriots during the 2020 season and two other Germans currently on NFL rosters as part of the International Player Pathway program, David Bada (Washington) and Aaron Donkor (Seattle Seahawks). In recent seasons Sebastian Vollmer won two Super Bowls (XLIX and LI) as part of the Patriots offensive line that protected quarterback Tom Brady, while Björn Werner was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

The NFL’s regular-season games in London have attracted average crowds of more than 80,000 and have driven exponential growth in the NFL’s UK presence, which now includes an NFL Academy for young student-athletes in London, a nationwide Flag football programme and a partnership with Tottenham Hotspur that has given the League its first purpose-built NFL stadium outside the United States.

The NFL previously staged five preseason games in Germany between 1990 and 1994, and had a professional team presence in Germany between 1991 and 2007, with the Berlin Thunder, Cologne Centurions, Frankfurt Galaxy, Hamburg Sea Devils and Rhein Fire playing at various times in the former World League/NFL Europe League/NFL Europa.

Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium partnership with the NFL has been described as a "visionary moment" by a director of the club.

With 61,559 seats, Spurs' new home will be largest capacity football club stadium in London and will feature a single-tier South Stand able to accommodate 17,500 spectators.

Expected to be complete for the beginning of the 2018-19 season, the multi-use stadium will include a fully retractable football pitch that can be replaced by a synthetic grass surface to be used for NFL games and other events.

The NFL signed a 10-year deal with the English Premier League club to use the stadium as its dedicated home for American football games in the UK.

Tottenham executive director Donna-Maria Cullen believes the NFL deal has improved standards in the design and technological aspects of the new facility.

Speaking at the Telegraph Business of Sport conference in London, Cullen said of the NFL partnership: "It was a visionary moment by Daniel [Levy, Tottenham chairman].

"One of the reasons we looked at the NFL was to create something different in Tottenham. You have to deliver more than a Premier League football club.

"The NFL will be a very different sport. But it has driven up standards in stadium. It's a whole new audience."

Construction of the new stadium means Tottenham will play their home games next season at Wembley.