For the third time after 2022 and 2024, Munich will be dominated by American football. The NFL visits the Allianz Arena with the Detroit Lions' match against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Events and activities take place in the city at the weekend.
This is what fans and those interested in the NFL spectacle should know.
Who is showing the game?
Good news for all football fans: You can watch the Munich game for free. RTL broadcasts live from the Allianz Arena. The Cologne broadcaster starts broadcasting one hour before kick-off (3:30 p.m.). The pay TV channel Sky will also show the duel. The game will also be broadcast on the streaming services RTL+ or Wow in a paid live stream. DAZN is also available via NFL Game Pass. The game will also be shown in many restaurants and sports bars in Munich.
Speaking of taverns: What is on offer there on the weekend?
Plenty. All eleven NFL teams that have marketing rights in Germany booked into restaurants on the day of the game or in the days before. The Lions, as the nominal home team, celebrate in the world-famous Hofbräuhaus. The Patriots can be found in the Paulaner im Tal and in the Augustiner main building.
The Indianapolis Colts are at the Weisses Bräuhaus in the valley, the Pittsburgh Steelers are at the Hard Rock Café. The New York Giants have booked the Augustiner am Platzl right next door, and the Atlanta Falcons have booked the Franziskaner am Nationaltheater. The Carolina Panthers are hoping for their fans in the Andechser am Dom, the Seattle Seahawks are in the Park Café. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played at The Barn Café in the Glockenbachviertel, the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pschorr on Viktualienmarkt. The Green Bay Packers invite their supporters to the night canteen at Ostbahnhof.
How do I get to the game?
According to the organizers, if you have got tickets for the stadium, it is best to take the subway (U6 to Fröttmaning station). Drivers can use parking spaces P2 and P3 from 10:30 a.m. Three hours before the start of the game, i.e. at 12.30 p.m., the promotional, catering and sales stands in the outdoor area of the stadium open. The NFL recommends fans arrive early to allow enough time for security checks and ticket scanning.
What supporting program can you see in the arena?
Before kick-off, American country singer Drew Baldridge will sing the US anthem. The Bavarian brass music-funk-ska combo from LaBrassBanda then takes over the German anthem. During the halftime break there will be a performance by the US rock band Cage The Elephant.
And anything else?
The Lions are hosting a big open-air fan festival on Odeonsplatz on Friday and Saturday. Concerts by artists from Detroit will conclude on both days from 5 p.m.: DJ Kevin Saunderson will be on stage on Friday and rapper Big Sean on Saturday. There is also a pop-up food truck from “Mom's Spaghetti”, the brand of what is certainly Detroit's most famous musician, the rapper Eminem.
Who are the stars of the Lions and Patriots?
From a German perspective, nothing beats Lions pass receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The wide receiver is the best-known German NFL player and is playing in his home country for the first time in his career. His mother Miriam Steyer comes from Leverkusen, his father John Brown, a successful bodybuilder, is an American.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has been in the NFL since 2021. The Lions picked the 27-year-old in the fourth round – and it paid off. Four Pro Bowls, he was first-team All-Pro twice, and four years in a row with over 1,000 yards in a season. He is one of the best pass receivers in the league. The reward: In April 2024 he signed a four-year contract worth around $120 million.
But he is not the only familiar face. For the Lions, the German-American is served by quarterback Jared Goff. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs – one of the best in the league – also helps in the Detroit offense. On defense, pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson is the most important player to watch.
For the Patriots, quarterback Drake Maye is by far the most important and best player on the team. The team captain was ranked 11th in the NFL Top 100 by his league colleagues. He leads the offense after nine games with 2,282 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns and three more rushing touchdowns.
In addition to the 24-year-old, wide receiver DeMario Douglas, linebacker Elijah Ponder and cornerback Christian Gonzales are particularly influential in the team's performances.
This is how Munich wants to benefit as a host
The NFL guest games are financially lucrative for the Bavarian capital. The globally acclaimed premiere in autumn 2022 not only had superstar Tom Brady raving and became a viral hit thanks to videos of fans singing “Country Roads” in the Allianz Arena. Munich's hotel, catering and retail industries recorded direct income of 32.2 million euros from the match. In the end, tax revenue amounted to 4.1 million euros, as the Department of Labor and Economic Affairs announced upon request.
Two years later there were even revenues of 48 million euros; the city expects similar tax revenue. This week, turnover in Munich tourism is likely to be at the level of 2024.
The NFL – Croesus among the global sports leagues
The NFL is moving financially into spheres that other sports leagues such as the Bundesliga can only dream of. According to analyses, it recorded sales of around 24 billion dollars (around 21.6 billion euros) in 2025. A current eleven-year media deal brings the NFL $110 billion. But NFL boss Roger Goodell thinks beyond the USA and has been pushing foreign games for years. He wants to take American football to a new level globally. Games like those in Munich serve as an advertising platform.
Oh yes: what is sport actually about?
After six wins and two defeats, Detroit is the favorite against last year's Super Bowl finalist, who has a record of five wins and four defeats. The Lions from the tough NFC North don't want to slip up in the fight for the play-off places. The Patriots, however, are under pressure after their heavy 27:45 home defeat against the Packers.
