Although NFL Europe ended in 2007, the NFL has seen substantial growth in six European countries. Throughout the past nine years, Germany’s interest has grown more than any other country, despite no NFL games in their country. It has grown so much so that two million Germans stayed up to watch Super Bowl 50 at midnight. To capitalize on their success in Germany, the NFL has hired Lagardère to manage local German social media, including a new German NFL Twitter feed.
“Historically when NFL Europe was playing games, there was a significant fan base that existed in Germany for the sport, and now that we have been able to accelerate the content we have available, we really have just increased the number of fans and the audience,” said Akash Jain, NFL Vice President of International Commercial Development. “We have a tremendous, passionate fan base in Germany, and we know Lagardère Sports will help us engage fans with meaningful and relevant content for this market.”
President and CEO of Lagardère Sports for the Americas Andrew Pierce said, “The NFL is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world and we’re thrilled that they selected us to help expand its fan base in Germany. As a fully integrated global agency, this new relationship with the NFL perfectly underscores how our industry expertise and vast network allows us to provide leading brands and sports properties with innovative solutions to their global business challenges.”
According to Pierce, the NFL also felt comfortable hiring Lagardère because the company currently employs Christian Fichter, former head of digital media for the Bundesliga.
This is not the first time the NFL has chosen digital media and marketing companies to manage local social media internationally. They currently have six companies running media campaigns in Canada, Mexico, China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and now Germany.
According to their website, “Lagardère Sports is a leading sports marketing agency, with a global network of local experts dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that meet our clients’ needs. We believe sport inspires emotions and passion that are essential to enriching people’s lives and generate powerful collective experiences. At Lagardère Sports, we dedicate our expertise and passion to providing our clients with privileged access to the infinite opportunities of sports. Lagardère Sports is part of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment, a company with more than 1,600 employees worldwide and 50 years of experience.”