Saints head to Paris for first French NFL game

Behind the scenes: The Saints have been preparing for this moment for years.

• Back in 2023, the NFL granted the team international marketing rights in France, giving the Saints the official OK to market, engage fans and sign sponsorship deals "as part of an important, long-term strategic effort to enable clubs to build their brands globally while driving NFL fan growth beyond the US," a press release said at the time.

• The team has since visited Paris, created French-language social media, sponsored watch parties and organized flag football leagues in low-stakes bids to build a French fan base, The Times-Picayune reports.
• (The Saints got international marketing rights for Italy earlier this year, too.)

Between the lines: The Saints are also the sentimental favorites amongst the French, we're told by an Axios colleague who lives in Paris, for obvious reasons having everything to do with New Orleans' shared Francophone history.

Zoom in: Sunday's game against the Steelers will be the Saints' fourth international matchup. Its last was in 2022 in London.

• They'll play in the Stade de France in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis.

How to watch: The time difference means you'll have to tune in early.

• Kickoff is at 8:30am CT Sunday. The NFL Network and WDSU have the broadcast.

If you go: Tell us! We'd love to see your selfies from the game. Email us at [email protected].

• Also, you might stop by famous Parisian hangout Harry's New York Bar when it turns into Harry's New Orleans Bar on Saturday. Cure's Neal Bodenheimer and Jewel of the South's Chris Hannah will be there.