Seahawks Awarded International Marketing Rights In 3 New Countries

The Seattle Seahawks now have marketing rights in three new countries.

Nov 11, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; A woman poses with a large Seattle Seahawks helmet at the NFL / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday, the Seattle Seahawks were granted international marketing rights in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as part of the NFL's Global Markets Program.

"The 12s are known around the world for being one of the most passionate fan bases in the NFL, and our fans in Germany and the DACH Region are no exception," Seahawks president Chuck Arnold said via the team's official site. "Playing in Munich in 2022, we met so many incredible Seahawks fans who had traveled from across the region to cheer us on. We are excited to further expand our fan engagement efforts internationally and foster an even closer relationship with our fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland moving forward."

The Seahawks have a strong tie to the DACH region, Germany especially.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Sebastian Widmann/GettyImages

In 2022, Seattle took part in the NFL's first-ever game in Germany when they faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in front of nearly 70,000 fans at Allianz Arena. Although they lost that game 21-16, it was an experience that they won't soon forget.

"It felt different as far as just the stadium and the overall atmosphere, but I thought the crowd was amazing," quarterback Geno Smith said at the time. "It was electric the entire time. They had a few soccer chants. I was looking forward to that. So it was a great experience. I definitely enjoyed it."

The connection to Germany goes deeper, though. NFL games began airing in Germany on broadcast channel ProSieben Maxx in 2013, so German viewers immediately saw the Seahawks play in back-to-back Super Bowls and win one. In fact, it's possible that the Seahawks' success during that time led to them participating in the first game in the country.

The Seahawks already had international marketing rights in Canada, and the team has hosted fan engagement events throughout British Columbia.

While the Seahawks won't play an international game in 2024, it seems very likely that they will return to such a stage sooner rather than later.