Carolina Panthers Timeline in Germany
Timeline of the Panthers in Germany
Panthers to Play in Germany in 2024
The Panthers have been making plenty of trips to and building plenty of fans in Germany over the last few years. Now, they will be playing a game there.
Panthers in Germany through the years
From flag football and watch parties with Panthers legends to draft pick announcements and fan fests, take a look at some of the Panthers' events in Germany over the past few years.
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Panthers announce partnership with Pizza Hut Germany
The Carolina Panthers announced a multi-year partnership agreement with Pizza Hut Germany, making the pizza retailer the team's first multi-year German partner as part of the NFL's Global Markets Program.
Announcement of Panthers Playing in Munich
To celebrate the Panthers being the home team in Munich in 2024, the Panthers created a drone show over the famous Olympiastadion in Munich, which was the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics.
NFL Frankfurt Games
The Panthers branded out an entire restaurant in Frankfurt to celebrate the NFL returning to Germany. Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. was back in Germany and participated in a Panthers cornhole tournament. From there, the Panthers hosted a watch party against the Indianapolis Colts and created a week-long activation area for Panthers fans in town to come and socialize.
Week 1 Celebration of Football in Frankfurt
To kick off Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season, the Panthers hosted NFL fans at a fan fest event at Deutsche Bank Park, followed by a watch party for their game against the Atlanta Falcons.
GACC South Business Networking Event
As part of Panthers commercial efforts, the Panthers teamed up with GACC (German American Chamber of Commerce) and Eintracht Frankfurt to host 100+ business leaders at Deutsche Bank Park with ties to German-American business connections, helping bridge the gap from the business world to the sports world.
Panthers Flag Football Event
Continuing their goal of growing the game of football globally, the Panthers were part of a flag football clinic and tournament in Düesseldorf with over 100+ youth learning how to play and having fun on the field.
Draft Pick from Frankfurt
Current Panthers player Johnny Hekker traveled to Germany to make a live draft pick from Römerburg, which is situated in Frankfurt. Johnny decided to dress up in lederhosen to pay tribute to the Bavarian culture. While lederhosen caused the German fans to razz Johnny for his outfit, Hekker just had to show off his excitement for the Panthers' future in Germany.
Keep Pounding Tour: Germany Edition
Panthers Legend Luke Kuechly went to Germany to host a Super Bowl Watch Party at Deutsche Bank Park along with Sir Purr, TopCats, Purcussion, and others.
From there, the team went on an excursion loop around Germany, hosting flags football clinics, dance clinics, and fan activations in Munich, Berlin, and Düsseldorf.
First Ever NFL Germany Game in Munich
The Panthers also had a presence in Munich on the weekend of Nov. 12-13, when the city played host to its first-ever NFL matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Panthers hosted fans and partners at a venue close to the stadium, which was decked out in Panthers colors and paraphernalia. Panthers fans made their team passion known by showing up and even winning tickets to the game through an in-person raffle.
Partnership with Eintracht Frankfurt
The Panthers joined forces with Eintracht Frankfurt of Germany's Bundesliga – the top tier of German soccer – to promote NFL football and the Carolina Panthers in Germany. Eintracht Frankfurt is competing in the UEFA Champions League this season after winning the UEFA Europa League. As part of this unique collaboration, the Panthers will partner with Eintracht Frankfurt on multiple initiatives in Germany and in the US.
Panthers Flag Football Clinics and Tournament
Panthers legend Mike Rucker made the trek to Germany in October to host a youth flag football clinic and tournament as part of a broader effort to expand flag football throughout Germany. This included providing 25 youth flag football teams with game jerseys, shorts, mouthguards, and other Panthers-branded equipment. The winner of the Panthers' Frankfurt tournament went on to win the overall Germany championship in Munich and will be representing all of Germany at the Pro Bowl, where all international teams will be competing for a championship.
Panthers Watch Party with Steve Smith Sr.
Over 500+ Panthers fans gathered together at Deutsche Bank Park to watch the Panthers play their Week 2 matchup with the New York Giants. The watch party was hosted by Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr., who was accompanied by Sir Purr and TopCats. While in Germany, Smith saw his first Bundesliga match when Eintracht Frankfurt took on Stuttgart. Lastly, Steve and Eintracht Frankfurt legend Alex Meier cooked traditional German food in an authentic German-style restaurant.
For the 2022 NFL Draft, Eintracht Frankfurt legend Timothy Chandler and a Panthers fan club member selected a live draft pick at Deutsche Bank Park, home of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Panthers Awarded Marketing Rights in Germany
Under the leadership of the NFL's International Committee, the Panthers were granted International Home Marketing Area rights in Germany. This granted the Panthers access to Germany for marketing, fan engagement, and commercialization as part of the NFL's long-term, strategic effort to build global brands and drive NFL fan growth internationally.
This made the Panthers one of 18 teams granted access to 26 International Home Marketing Areas across eight different countries.
