Carolina Panthers will play New York Giants in Munich this season
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Allianz Arena where the Panthers will play in Munich, Germany. Photo: Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images
Pack your bags – the Carolina Panthers are heading to Germany.
Driving the news: The team will play the New York Giants in Munich on Nov. 10 at 9:30am ET at Allianz Arena, home of German soccer team FC Bayern Munich.
Catch up quick: The Panthers were awarded marketing rights to Germany as part of the NFL’s global markets program (GMP) in December 2021. GMP allows a team to sign corporate sponsors, sell team merchandise and stage events for fan engagement like they would in their home market, AP reported.
- The program includes 19 teams with rights in 10 countries.
- The goal is to build a bigger international footprint — not just for the Panthers, but for the league.
Why it matters: The Panthers struggled in 2023, going 2-15 for one of the worst seasons in franchise history. They’ll head to Germany with a new head coach and a new general manager. But the team’s performance stateside hasn’t impacted their reception in Germany, Sean Phaler, Panthers director of digital marketing, tells Axios.
By the numbers: Phaler has been to Germany about 12 times since September 2022. The process has been about turning casual NFL fans there into Panthers fans, Phaler tells Axios.
- This includes sending Panthers legends like Steve Smith, Luke Kuechly and Mike Rucker, to Germany to engage with fans.
- Smith hosted an NFL watch party and corn hole tournament in Frankfurt in November. Frankfurt hosted two NFL games last fall.
- The Panthers have also hosted football clinics in Germany and sent mascot Sir Purr and the TopCats to U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden for youth football and cheer clinics.
- Punter Johnny Hekker announced the team’s selection of fourth-round draft pick Chandler Zavala, a guard out of NC State, from Römerburg last spring.
Flashback: The Panthers played their first international game in London in 2019. Carolina beat Tampa Bay 37-26. They’re undefeated (1-0) abroad.
What they’re saying: “We are excited to deepen our relationships with our German fans, engage with our partners and continue to grow our brand globally,” Panthers owner David Tepper said in a statement.
Of note: Charlotte Douglas International Airport has direct flights to Munich via American Airlines and Lufthansa.
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Editor's note: This story was originally published on Jan. 11, 2024 and was updated on May 15, 2024 to include the team's opponent, date and time.