The Regular Season game of the Seattle Seahawks against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Munich is considered a complete success. But there is also potential here to make the next NFL game in Germany a better event

Munich – Record! Almost 5.8 million viewers of the NFL Network watched the first NFL game on German soil in Munich. Over three million ticket requests for the game and ultimately over 69,000 people created an outstanding atmosphere in the Allianz Arena that went around the world.

In the big picture, the game between the victorious Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks was a complete success. The city of Munich expected a turnover of around 31 million euros beforehand and despite all the deserved jubilation, there is potential to improve the next NFL event in Germany

Criticism of the NFL game in Munich: The preliminary skirmish

In the USA, so-called “tailgating” is common. Football fans usually get together three to four hours before kick-off and hold a kind of big barbecue and drinking party in the car parks around the stadium to get in the mood. There is usually a lively party atmosphere here.

From a cultural point of view, there was no such thing at the Munich game. No barbecue, no tailgating. Meaning: the spectators flocked en masse towards the Allianz Arena. Apart from a few “kicker, receiver or throwing challenges” on the part of the NFL and a few oversized helmets and ONE DJ who greeted the fans with music, there was no party factor on the way there. The fans were not offered much, except to wait for admission. Many of them were already there in the morning, although the game did not start until 3:30 pm.

Criticism of the NFL game in Munich: The set-up

Although the organisers adjusted the planned admission from 1:30 p.m. to before 1:00 p.m., an eternal queue formed to get into the stadium grounds. This is also due to the structure of the Allianz Arena. There is only one main entrance. Everyone has to go through it before you can choose your block and everything is spread out. The one lonely DJ was set up so far away that you waited in silence until it went ahead. The procedure took an hour or two. Just standing. Just waiting. Surrounded by thousands of others.

Once you were inside, it got better. But as soon as you got thirsty or hungry, there was the next problem. There were only “food & drinks” stands set up. Meaning, even if the fan just wanted something to eat, he had to queue up where people also just wanted something to drink. There was no separation. The result: long queues again, which even went so far that you couldn’t walk around the stadium or up to your block.

The toilets were also not ideal, although this criticism was more directed at the Allianz Arena. You could enter the urinal from two sides, which meant that the entrance was also the exit and everyone was in the way.

Criticism of the NFL game in Munich: The Shops

Either the NFL didn’t have enough material due to logistical problems or completely misjudged the situation. The German fans were desperate for NFL merchandise, but were bitterly disappointed. There was only ONE NFL shop before admission. Only one! There was already an admission stop at 11:00 a.m. because it was getting too crowded.

In the stadium itself, there were many small NFL places, where they sold out of a small window with little stock. Again, of course, long waits and frantic waiting as everyone wanted to get in. And when it was your turn, the shirts were only available in S or the scarf on display was already gone. In addition, almost only merchandise from both teams was offered, although the majority were there as football fans and would have liked to buy something other than just Seahawks or Bucs.

This is not to belittle the excellent event. But a few more shops with more merchandise, a cooler offering before admission for fans and a better layout for fan needs in the stadium would make such a day perfect. In the stadium itself and the show there was of course exceptional.