Packers take wait-and-see approach to NFL's global marketing program
Richard RymanGREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers are taking a wait-and-see approach to participating in the NFL's global marketing plan.
The league on Wednesday said 18 teams were granted marketing access to 26 International Home Marketing Areas that include eight countries.
In other words, those 18 teams are allowed to perform certain marketing functions in those areas that other teams cannot. Some teams received marketing access in more than one country.
The Packers, who already have a worldwide fan base, want to evaluate how the program performs before committing what could be significant resources to a new initiative.
Clubs will have rights to pursue activities in their assigned international markets that are consistent with what they do in their domestic markets. That includes in-person and digital marketing, corporate sponsorship sales, fan events and activations, youth football activities, merchandise sales and co-marketing relationships with other sports and entertainment properties in the market.
Clubs have a five-year access to their markets, and other teams can request sign up on an annual basis.
“Much of our league success is rooted in the strong connection that our individual teams have built with their fans, and this initiative creates many more avenues for engaging and energizing our international fanbase,” said Joel Glazer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner/co-chairman and NFL International Committee chairman.
Even without those exclusive marketing rights, the Packers feel they have enough leeway to promote themselves.
"When we are chosen to play an international game, we are still able to engage the fans socially," said Aaron Popkey, Packers director of public affairs. "We would still be able to have an event around our game, similar to how we do pep rallies in away cities."
The Packers already have contacts with fans in other countries through direct interaction and through the Packers Everywhere initiative.
The Packers are the only NFL team not to have played an international regular-season game. A plan adopted by the NFL beginning in the 2022 season guarantees every team will play an international game at least once every eight years. Teams will be assigned international games by division, alternating between conferences. The NFL has not said which division will be on tap next year.
Contact Richard Ryman at (920) 431-8342 or rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.