KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs’ long-anticipated trip to Germany is officially set with the NFL on Thursday unveiling the Chiefs as one of five teams that will host one of their home games internationally during the 2023 season.
The Chiefs have aggressively pursued building their brand internationally, especially in Germany, with team chairman and CEO Clark Hunt long being a supporter of the international series.
“We could not be more excited to participate in a Germany game and introduce more of the world to Chiefs Kingdom this fall,” Hunt said in a statement. “Our team and our fans have had incredible experiences in London and Mexico City as part of the International Series in the past, and we look forward to helping the NFL in its effort to continue growing the game in Germany.”
The Chiefs have nine home games in 2023, so there will still be eight regular-season games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The opponent has not yet been selected but the Chiefs host games next year against Denver, Las Vegas, the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
Buffalo will also host an international game in London next season, making them an unlikely opponent. Tennessee and Jacksonville will play London contests while New England will join the Chiefs in Germany in a separate game.
The date and location are also yet to be determined. The NFL has pledged to play games in Munich and Frankfurt, but the Chiefs have an established preference to play in Munich. During the past season, Munich hosted Seattle and Tampa Bay on Nov. 13.
While all clubs are required to host a game as part of the league’s international series, the Chiefs have coveted a game in Germany according to team president Mark Donovan.
“We’ve aggressively pursued this opportunity because we know how passionate German fans are about NFL football and we’re committed to the international growth of the game as well as our brand,” Donovan said in a statement. “We think we’ll be able to provide the right mix of opportunities for our existing season ticket members and domestic fans while also creating unique experiences that will make this memorable for German fans as well.”
As part of the NFL’s International Home Marketing Area program, the Chiefs were awarded international rights in Germany and Mexico in December 2021. The club has hosted several events in Germany since then including launching a merchandise collaboration with DefShop, the first such partnership between an NFL company and a local German brand.
The Chiefs also share a corporate relationship with FC Bayern Munich, the defending champions of the Bundesliga, Germany’s top tier soccer league. FC Bayern in 2018 joined a cooperation agreement with FC Dallas, the Major League Soccer club of which Hunt is also chairman.
The Germany trip will be the club’s third international game during the regular season, following their 2015 trip to London in a win over Detroit and their victory in 2019 against the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City. The Chiefs have also played four preseason games internationally in Berlin, Tokyo and Monterrey, Mexico.
