American Football in Germany  Kick-off in the Middle of the Night

Pizza, beer, Super Bowl: What once began as a niche sport has become a full‑blown hype in Germany. How American football found a home here.

A Sunday evening in February. Outside, the cold bites; the streets lie silent, and most of the country is heading to bed. Most – but not all. In living rooms, shared flats and bars, people gather with pizza, beer and chicken wings in front of televisions and projectors. It’s Super Bowl night. At 12:30 a.m. German time, the spectacle begins, and with the kick-off, a small American ritual unfolds in the middle of the German night.

What long remained an insider event for die-hard fans has now arrived firmly in German pop culture. NFL merchandise at discount supermarkets, football games in German stadiums, a European league modelled on the National Football League (NFL) – the sport has long since crossed the Atlantic.

A “New” Hype with a Long History

The boom of American football in Germany is no coincidence. Television broadcasts in recent years have made the sport more visible, yet its roots reach much further back. After the Second World War, US soldiers brought the sport with them – initially confined to military bases, without German spectators. It wasn’t until 1977 that the first German football club, the Frankfurt Lions, was founded, still heavily shaped by American players. As more teams emerged across German cities, the “American Football Bund Deutschland” was established two years later.

Germany as the NFL’s Growth Market

Today, football in Germany is a mass phenomenon. According to league figures, around 19 million fans follow the sport, with several million tuning in to NFL games on a regular basis. The first Super Bowl was broadcast in Germany back in 1988, then on Tele 5. Since 2023, the games have aired on private broadcaster RTL – the ninth channel to secure broadcasting rights. Germany is now considered the league’s most important growth market, says NFL Germany chief Alexander Steinforth.

Since 2022, the NFL has staged one regular-season game per year in Germany. Munich hosted the debut, followed by Frankfurt and Berlin. For these events, German football stadiums are transformed into American football arenas – an elaborate conversion for just one weekend. Tickets go to fans from around the world, including many Americans who travel to Germany solely for the game. In the coming years, the league plans to alternate games between Munich and Berlin.

Faces of the Hype

Personalities who make the sport accessible also fuel the football fever. Björn Werner and Patrick “Coach” Esume have become fixtures in the German football landscape. Both commentate on matches on television, are active on social media and host the podcast Bromance, which regularly appears in the German podcast charts. The two are absolute football experts: Werner played in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts, while Esume played for various German teams and had a long coaching career in Europe and the US. Together, they translate American football culture for a German audience – with humour, expertise and a generous dose of entertainment.

Youth Development and New Structures

But the NFL isn’t relying solely on TV ratings. With the NFL Flag Programme, it aims to establish flag football – the non-contact version of the sport – in schools and clubs. The goal is to anchor the sport in German grassroots athletics for the long term.

In 2020, the European League of Football (ELF) was founded to tap more effectively into the fan potential in Germany. Until the end of last season, Patrick Esume served as commissioner. With cheerleaders, mascots and US players, the league took strong inspiration from the American model. Germany fielded seven of the 16 teams, many of them highly successful. Most recently, Stuttgart Surge won the 2025 season, while Rhein Fire defended the title the year before. Yet financial difficulties and internal conflicts led to insolvency proceedings. What will happen in 2026 remains uncertain.

Super Bowl LX: Germany Joins the Celebration

Back in the US, this year’s Super Bowl LX carries a special note for German fans: RTL and the NFL are hosting a major German fan event in San Francisco – for everyone making the long journey across the Atlantic to watch the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks.

For everyone else, the night becomes a major event at home. Düsseldorf is organising a football fan zone, Cologne is hosting the “Super Bowl LX Experience”. And even those who know little about yards or the leather egg tend to tune in at least for the halftime show – the musical performance during the break. Each year, global stars take the stage. This year, Puerto Rican Latin rap and reggaeton artist Bad Bunny performs, with Green Day opening the pre-show.

The enthusiasm for touchdowns, field goals and Super Bowl rings has clearly taken root in Germany – not just as a sport, but as part of a global pop culture that has found a firm place in everyday German life.

February 2026