BERLIN (AP) — With Borussia Dortmund pittsburgh steelers They say their partnership goes far beyond exchanging jerseys.
“We both have roots in the coal and steel industries, we have a blue-collar history, we value hard work, character matters and we have a very strong sense of community,” said Marc Lingenhoff, Dortmund’s managing director for the Americas.
Their agreement is one of several formal partnerships between the two countries. Bundesliga club and NFL Both teams are looking to expand into each other’s territory to expand their fan base and commercial opportunities.
Germany is an important factor Characteristics of the NFL’s aggressive international promotion. The country is the world’s third-largest economy and home to passionate fans. A long history of supporting American football.
On Sunday, Berlin will host the first NFL regular season game. indianapolis colts in the face of atlanta falcons in Olympiastadion.
Panthers and Lions also active
Other NFL and Bundesliga partnerships include the Carolina Panthers and Eintracht Frankfurt, and the Detroit Lions and Cologne.
Charlotte and Frankfurt are major financial centers. There are over 250 german companies Main business is in North Carolina 35,000+ jobs.
Detroit and Cologne have a long history in automobile manufacturing. Ford Motor Co. Cologne Plant Production began in 1931. lions ownership It has been in the hands of the Ford family for over 60 years.
Another player linking the Lions to Cologne is star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. His mother is from Leverkusen, just north of Cologne. St. Brown, who speaks German, is heavily featured on Detroit’s Deutsch social media channels. Leverkusen’s own soccer team Win the Bundesliga title in 2024Cologne’s rival.
The Seattle Seahawks took a different approach. Partnership with German American football team —Rheinfire, who played in the European Soccer League last season.
Impressive yellow walls
The Steelers and Dortmund also share most of their colors. Pittsburgh is black and gold. Dortmund is black and yellow.
“The similarities between our regions and our fan bases, everything is a good fit,” Steelers senior director of international development Regan Berube told The Associated Press in a joint interview with Lingenhoff.
Objectives include acquiring new fans, conducting in-person activities, collaborating on content, and more. There will also be watch parties and flag football clinics.
In a March collaboration, the Steelers sent safety Myles Killebrew to the Dortmund game, where he got his first glimpse of the famous yellow wall. The clip is most popular videos on the Steelers’ German Instagram and TikTok accounts.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who are unofficially affiliated with Bayern Munich, Germany’s largest club, have the most followers on their German-language Instagram and TikTok accounts (155,000 total) compared to the 10 other NFL teams that have commercial rights in Germany through the league’s Global Markets Program.
Can these types of partnerships work?
The more aligned your team’s brand is, the better the results will be.
“This is important because when viewers begin to question the rationale behind a partnership, they often see it as purely economically motivated, which can have negative effects,” Sebastian Uhrich, a professor of sports management at the German Sport University Cologne, told The Associated Press in a written comment.
He added that a partnership like the one between the Steelers and Dortmund “could still be successful because both teams have large fan bases in their home countries and draw a lot of attention.”
There are also risks.
“The big risk is that the brand image of each team could be diluted,” Uhrich said. “Sports teams typically have a strong local or regional identity, so an international partner may not necessarily seem like a natural fit.Furthermore, fans— especially in Europe — often disapproves of activities that appear to serve commercial interests above all else. ”
Uhrich added that the Steelers’ partnership with Dortmund is “likely to alienate fans of other clubs, especially Dortmund’s main rivals (Schalke, Bayern Munich, Leipzig).”
let’s talk business
The Steelers and Dortmund both sent representatives to each other’s annual sponsor summit.
“These deals take time,” Lingenhoff said. “We’re making good progress on some leads, but there’s nothing we can announce yet.”
A year ago, the Bundesliga signed him to a long-term contract. US promotional agency Lilevent — Co-founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, the company aims to strengthen media rights and regional sponsorships in the U.S. and the Americas. They established offices in New York and Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Bundesliga announced it has opened “Mexico’s first local content studio” and launched Spanish-language social media channels.
Bundesliga eyes growth in the US
Among American soccer fans, the Premier League Powerful overseas league. Therefore, Dortmund and the Bundesliga, which opened a New York office in 2024, also have work to do.
“We know that the Premier League is leading the way. There is also the cultural advantage of English being the language,” Lingenhoff said.
The Bundesliga said more American players play in the league than in any other elite league in Europe. And in fact, Dortmund was the home base of the U.S. national team. Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna.
US has room to grow Lionel Messi, who plays for Inter Miami, has sparked interest in the sport, and the US is set to co-host next summer’s World Cup.
“We know that in the United States, we have favorite teams in England, Italy, Spain and Germany. That may change with player transfers,” Lingenhoff said. “We have to work harder to increase the loyalty of each and every fan.”
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