The NFL is expanding the Detroit Lions' global reach and providing them the opportunity to grow their brand in four international markets.

Over the past few seasons, the NFL’s Global Markets Program has worked to enhance the exposure of its teams in countries around the world. Currently, the league has marketing rights deals with 25 teams spread over 19 countries, and the Detroit Lions have been added to the mix.

On Monday, the NFL announced that, on April 1, they would be expanding the Lions’ brand awareness reach to include four international markets: Germany, Canada, Switzerland, and Austria.

The Lions expanded on this opportunity in a press release:

“This expansion unlocks various marketing opportunities, such as on-site events aimed at engaging existing fans and attracting new ones, the development of region-specific websites, content, and promotional campaigns, as well as the potential to broaden corporate partnerships globally and establish local business collaborations. The Lions will create specific engagement strategies tailored to the unique characteristics of each market, including the launch social media profiles in the native languages of each respective area.

“Looking ahead, the club plans to cultivate and engage its fanbase in these regions through initiatives such as youth football education, localized retail and merchandise offerings, and philanthropic efforts.”

Teams are awarded (at least) five-year terms in which they can pursue these activities in an international market and in several cases they will share the space with other NFL teams. For example, Germany has 10 teams—including the Lions—in their market, Austria has six teams, Switzerland has five teams, and Canada has three teams.

The opportunity to expose these four countries to Lions football could—and likely will—lead to an international game being played in said country, with the most likely destination being Germany.

Last season, the NFL played its first game in Frankfurt, Germany, and featured the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts—both teams that had already been marketing their teams in Germany via the NFL’s Global Markets Program.

Germany will host another game in 2024, and the NFL has already announced that the home team will be the Carolina Panthers—another one of the teams already in this market. It’s worth noting that the Lions do not have the Panthers on their schedule this season, so they would not be the Panthers' potential opponent.

The NFL’s other international games in 2024 include the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Jacksonville Jaguars, all hosting games in London, and no surprise, all three teams are among the six operating in the United Kingdom.

So while the Lions won’t be traveling to Germany this season, the NFL is laying the groundwork for what is likely to be an overseas trip in the future. Now, it’s up to the Lions to seize the opportunity and grow their fan base.