Source: (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are taking their brand and fan base overseas, as the NFL expands it’s relationship with countries across the world.
In a press release Monday, the NFL announced the Indianapolis Colts have been approved to take part in the league’s Global Markets Program. Launched in 2022, the program aims to grow the brands and fan bases of NFL teams in countries outside of the United States.
For the Colts, they will plant the blue and white horseshoe in Germany and Austria for the next five years. The program allows Indianapolis to go after marketing, fan engagement, fan clubs, game broadcasts, and basically any commercial activity the organization would be able to do back home.
“After seeing the appetite for American football firsthand this past fall in Frankfurt, we are more than excited to expand the reach of the Horseshoe internationally,” said Colts owner & CEO Jim Irsay. “In Germany and Austria, we’ve found vibrant markets that make sense for our club, but that also will provide more international exposure and connections for our partners, Indiana businesses and many more across the state.”
Indianapolis already has a few ties to Germany and Austria, as detailed in the press release:
- Current Colts tackle Bernhard Raimann hails from Vienna, Austria.
- Current Colts safety Marcel Dabo hails from Reutlingen, Germany.
- Former Colts linebacker Björn Werner, who was selected by Indianapolis in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, hails from Germany and has been a Colts booster in the country after his playing career.
- The Colts played their first game in Germany last fall, defeating the New England Patriots on Nov. 12, 2023, in Frankfurt.
If you put football aside, Indiana also has a strong relationship with both countries on a business level. Germany is Indiana’s fourth largest trading partner, racking up nearly four-billion-dollars’ worth of exports last year. Over 150 German and Austrian companies have some presence in the Hoosier State, and there are 11 sister-city agreements between Indiana and Germany.
Indiana also has a satellite office in Berlin, according to the press release.
Members of the Colts organization plan to visit both countries in the near future to talk about the new partnership.
