This September, Dublin swaps sliotars and footballs for shoulder pads and end zones. The NFL is coming to Ireland, properly this time, with the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Minnesota Vikings in the league’s first-ever regular-season game on Irish soil. Think Croke Park, 80,000 fans, and the eyes of the world tuning in.
For the Steelers, this is more than a fixture. It’s a homecoming. But why is this? The Rooney family, who own the team, trace their roots back to Newry, County Down. Art Rooney’s father, Dan Rooney, even served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland. But sentiment only explains part of the story. This game is about something bigger, global reach, brand expansion, and showing how the NFL plans to win over fans far beyond the U.S. That’s what allows us to talk about it.
Since 2007, the NFL has been taking its show on the road, with regular-season games in London, Mexico, Canada, Germany, and even Brazil. So the next step, add Ireland into the mix!
In 2023, the Steelers were awarded marketing rights for Ireland under the NFL’s Global Markets Program, alongside the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars. By 2025, that group had grown to include the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers. The program gives franchises the green light to do more than just show up on game day. They can run grassroots fan activations, youth football clinics, sponsorship deals, merchandise sales and co-marketing campaigns across the island.
These international events aren’t just games; they’re revenue machines. For brands, that means opportunity. TV rights, sponsorships, merch sales, global exposure for the star players, it’s all part of turning the NFL into a worldwide entertainment brand. Think Premier League teams marketing themselves internationally, but with more helmets and touchdowns.
Ireland was already flirting with American football thanks to the annual College Classic every August. Aer Lingus, as the premium named sponsor for college football, the next logical step for their marketing team, once the NFL was confirmed, was to strengthen their hold on the Irish American Football audience. Hosting the NFL is the natural progression, a chance to tap into growing fan interest, bring world-class spectacle to Croke Park, and show Irish sports fans that this is more than a novelty. It’s the NFL planting its flag on new turf, literally and strategically.
The Steelers wasted no time capitalising on this. The team launched a dedicated Irish social media channel, lined up watch parties and flag football events, and partnered with the GAA to reach into the heart of Irish sport. The partnership gave fans free access to three Steelers preseason games through the GAA streaming platform. It was a clever move that connected Pittsburgh to Ireland’s biggest sporting community. With the Croke Park showcase on the horizon, the Steelers are not just dropping in for one night; they are working to build a lasting presence. For brands, that is a clear signal: market entry is not about stunts, it is about building long-term equity.
What is happening in Dublin is not just a one-off. It is part of a wider strategy to take the NFL from an American export to a global entertainment powerhouse. London has already become a second home for the league, Munich and Frankfurt sold out in minutes, and new markets like Brazil are being tested with huge success. Ireland is the next step in that journey, a country where heritage, community and curiosity for the game make the ground especially fertile.
For marketers, the lesson is clear. Spectacle sells, but authenticity is what keeps audiences engaged. The Steelers are not simply staging a game; they are building roots, telling stories and creating local connections that make their brand relevant far from Pittsburgh. The NFL’s global expansion shows that the future of the sport is not about borders but about belonging, and the brands that win will be those that can create that same sense of connection. So the question is this: if you had the chance to put your brand on a stage this big, and you need a hand deciding what play to call for your brand, maybe give Marketing Network Group a call?
It’s not only an opportunity for the NFL teams, it’s also a chance for brands at home. For example, if a client wants to boost brand recognition or expand into the American market, the NFL showcase in Ireland becomes the perfect platform to promote their brand.
When the Steelers run out at Croke Park this September, it will be more than football history. It will be a case study in how to grow a global brand, and one Irish marketers should be watching closely, we know we will.
