The Results Will Surprised You!
American football has grown in popularity across the United States to with 184 million fans and total team revenues doubling from $8.8 billion in 2010 to $18 billion in 2022. But that is only a
small part of a bigger story that spans the globe.
NFL level American football has quietly grown globally without much fanfare or promotion.
Today, 89 countries that play American Football and members of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF)(1). IFAF members include American tackle football as well as men’s and women’s flag football.
Twenty-three of these countries (shown below) have NFL level American football with 258 teams in over 209 cities.
Each of these NFL Level I cities have teams that generate sports events revenues from gate revenues, media rights, sponsorships, team merchandise, and venue construction. Globally, media rights and sponsorships account to roughly 60% of sports events revenues while gate revenues are 18% and merchandise 12%. (2) This makes many of the larger cities excellent sports investments as fan engagement in Level I American football grows.
Shown below are the number of cities included in the 23 Level I American football leagues. China has 33 teams across 24 cities with 5 teams in Shanghai, 2 in Beijing, 2 in Shenyang, and 2 in Hangzhou. These cities have large populations and considerable buying power relative to
smaller cities in China. Hence, these cities offer the best opportunities for American football sports revenues in the future.
India has 23 teams across 21 cities with 2 teams each in Bangalore, Pune, and Mumbai but much lower buying power based on household incomes. Brazil has 19 teams across with 3 teams in Curitiba and 2 each in Sao Paulo and Manaus.
To better understand each of the NFL Level I teams and cities, the remainder of this blog is devoted to the top 3 countries in each region. For most countries we have video to enhance your understanding of each countries American football teams.
Here are the top 3 counties with NFL Level I American football teams and their cities in these three Latin America countries.
Mexico – Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (Professional American Football League), commonly known simply as LFA, is a professional American football league in Mexico, founded in 2016. Starting with four teams, the LFA has since expanded to ten members as of 2022.
Brazil – Liga Brasileirão de Futebol Americano: There are more than 4,800 active players in Brazil, not counting those with flag-football teams and youth and women’s categories. The first organized American football game between two Brazilian teams took place in 2008.
Peru- Liga Peruana de Futbol Americano: Few people know that American football has been played in Peru for several years. But now a new national league has been organized – the LPFA and it is the first Level I American football competition and league ever organized in Peru featuring all Peruvian clubs. Also note that eight of the nine teams are in one city (Lima) – This is a sports media sponsorship, media rights and sports advertising dream.
There are 14 countries in Europe with NFL Level I American football leagues presented at the start of this blog. We selected the top 3 countries based on number of teams, population, and consumer spending. While Belgium has more teams with 18, it has fewer people and less buying power than the top 3 countries we have selected to profile.
Germany – German Football League: The German Football League (GFL) is a Level I American football league in Germany and was formed in 1979. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA. In terms of attendance figures, cumulative salaries paid by teams, performance in international exhibition games and competitions and ability to draw foreign talent, the GFL is arguably the strongest national league in Europe. As shown below, their 16 teams are spread across 15 cities with two teams in Berlin.
United Kingdom – British Football League: The sport of American football is played in the United Kingdom in domestic and international levels. Domestic games in England. Scotland and Wales are operated by British American Football Association. The UK has played host to games in association with the U.S. National Football League (NFL), including four regular-season NFL games since 2021. The British Football League has 12 teams in 10 cities with 3 teams in London.
France – Federation Francaise de Football Americain: Laurent Plegelatte formed the first French team, Spartacus, in 1980 for American Football in France. Over time, the number of teams would grow with over 22,000 players of now playing tackle football in France. The FFFA (Fédération Française de Football Américain), the top league in France. It has 12 teams from 12 cities. Oddly, unlike other countries, the largest city (Paris) does not have a Level I American football team.
There are 20 countries playing American football in the Asia-Pacific region and three countries are playing NFL Level I American football. Note that the team names are typically the city with an American mascots like Warriors, Tigers, Buffalos, Legends, Warhawks, Deer’s, Lions, Suns and others.
China – Chinese National Football League (CNFL): Previously known as American Football League of China (AFLC) is an American-rules football organization in China. Founded in 2013, the AFLC has grown from a small recreational league. In 2016 92% of players were Chinese nationals. In 2019, the AFLC officially renamed the organization to the CNFL.
The CNFL is divided into four regional divisions with the North and East regions with 22 of the
33 pro teams in the Chinese National Football League.
India – Elite Football League of India: The Elite Football League of India (EFLI) is a professional American football league based in India. It was founded with eight franchises in 2011, and now has 23 franchises throughout South Asia, 20 located in India, two in Sri Lanka and one in Pakistan. Of the 23 pro teams, three cities have two teams – Mumbai, Bangalore, and Pune.
Japan – X League: The X-League is the top-level gridiron football league in Japan. It was founded in 1971 as the Japan-American Football League and changed its name to the X League in 1997. There are four divisions (X1 Super, X1 Area, X2, and X3) among which there is promotion and relegation.
Note that the team names in Japan feature company names with logo. For example, IBM Big Blue, Panasonic Impulse, Asahi Beer Silver Star and Asahi Soft Drink Challengers create new sponsorship opportunities for companies that want their corporate names on teams uniforms and promotional materials.
This region has 13 countries playing American football with three NFL Level I American football leagues.
Egypt – Egyptian Federation of American Football (EFAF): The Egyptian Federation of American Football (EFAF) is a league governing body of the sport of American Football in Egypt and is responsible for all regulatory, competitive, performance and development aspects of the game.
EFAF was founded in December 2014. Note that all eight pro teams are in Cairo. This creates an
unusual opportunity for corporate league sponsorship and advertising in that the sponsoring
brand can reach the entire Cairo population that follows the teams in the EFAF.
Israel – Israel Football League: In 2008, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his family began to sponsor the IFL and donated Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem to the league. The IFL is the highest level of American football in Israel and each season culminates in the Israel Bowl. This is an example of branding a country league with eight teams spread across 8 cities.
Turkey – Turkey American Football League: The Turkey American Football League was launched on 26 November 2005. Since the 2007-2008 season, American football competition has happened in two categories, the Professional League, and the University League. Six of the eight teams are in two cities – Istanbul and Ankara.
SUMMARY: The National Football League is now watched by 400 million fans across the globe. The NFL’s growing popularity has inspired 89 countries on almost every continent to establish their own “national” professional American-style football leagues. The NFL brand is transforming from a North American league to a world-class league, a global brand, and a global phenomenon (3).
As shown below, the NFL has established large fan followings in many countries. Outside of the U.S., the next top 10 countries, led by Mexico (23.3 million) and Brazil (19.7 million), have a total of 84.2 million people who identify themselves as fans of the NFL. The top 10 IFAF countries (4) account for the most NFL Level I American football teams, provide the most cities with teams, and countries with larger populations and buying power.
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