Bayern Munich helps rake in the NFL cash from Seahawks – Bucs game at the Allianz Arena

The NFL finally made their way to Germany — playing a regular season game in the country for the first time as the league looks to expand its global reach. Bayern Munich were the club honored on this occasion, with a November 13 game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.

“The results of the ‘2022 Munich Game Impact Assessment’ report confirm what a fantastic success the game was in Munich,” said NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly, via NFL.com. “We are grateful to the City of Munich, State of Bavaria, Bayern Munich, Allianz Arena and the participating NFL teams in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks for their partnership in delivering this historic game for the fans in the stadium and viewers around the world, and a legacy that will live well beyond.”

According to The Sports Consultancy Group, which produced the assessment, the game resulted in a €70M windfall for Munich in “total economic impact” — money that doesn’t go to Bayern’s coffers but was facilitated by the presence of the Allianz Arena, as well as Germany’s best team.

The game also left a legacy on the field.

The NFL compensated the Allianz with a new pitch after the game after rendering the previous surface unplayable after the game, but that wasn’t enough. The club has gone so far as to make Bundesliga competitors VfL Wolfsburg’s groundskeeper their first signing for the upcoming year.