In recent weeks, Irish sports fans witnessed the two busiest weekends in the island’s sporting – and arguably, cultural – calendar. The All-Ireland Hurling Final and All-Ireland (Gaelic) Football Final, won by Tipperary and Kerry respectively, bring over 80,000 fans apiece to Dublin’s iconic Croke Park stadium. In truth, the games could be seen several times over. Television audiences are much greater, with reports that the Football Final had a 76% audience share this year. It’s remarkable as hurling and Gaelic football remain amateur sports.
Nonetheless, the Irish nation’s love of sports is plain to see. Aside from Gaelic Games, there’s plenty of participation in ‘English’ sports like soccer, cricket, and rugby. Ireland is considered to have one of the world’s best national teams in the latter. Boxing, too, has a massive legacy across the island. Of course, these things change over time, and new sports can carve out a niche for themselves, which brings us to the next big sports event at Croke Park – the NFL.
Croke Park is Fitting For The Inaugural NFL Game
On September 28, the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers will become the first NFL teams to play on what is considered hallowed ground by Irish sports fans. It isn’t easy to think of any stadium with more history than the 141-year-old stadium, and we don’t just mean sporting history. It’s unique and a fitting venue for the first-ever NFL game on Irish soil. Importantly for the NFL hierarchy, it will be full to the rafters with 82,300 fans, like the All-Ireland Finals.
Targeting the Irish market seems like a logical step for the NFL. (American) Football is a niche sport in the country, but it is growing. Games are broadcast on mainstream cable channels, social media activity buzzes around NFL content, Madden video games are popular, and you can be sure that betting sites offering NFL lines will do a brisk trade across the regular season and postseason games. Super Bowl watch parties are now common across the island.
Watch the official NFL promo for the Vikings–Steelers game here on YouTube.
The NFL is Playing The Long Game
Yet, interestingly, Ireland can be seen as an example of how the NFL is playing the long game in its quest for international expansion. The Irish Times, Ireland’s paper of record, wrote about this in 2024 (before the Steelers vs. Vikings fixture was confirmed), pointing out how the league was patiently building a presence in Ireland and other countries. The concept was about “putting down roots,” not turning up like a “travelling circus” and leaving again.
One of the article’s conclusions was that different countries could serve as hubs for specific teams, and that the Pittsburgh Steelers were among those who recognized that with Ireland. The Steelers marketing has been putting out ‘localized’ content, making a pitch for Irish audiences. The Rooney Family (the Steelers’ owners) has made no secret of their ties and passion for their ancestral homeland. Yet, it’s not as if Pittsburgh has a monopoly on links to Ireland. The New England Patriots and the two New York franchises, the Jets and Giants, could easily promote familial ties with the Emerald Isle, given the massive population of ex-pats and Americans with Irish roots across Boston and New York.
In the end, it must not be forgotten that Ireland is a relatively small market. The entire island (we include Northern Ireland) has a population similar to Tennessee (circa 7 million), and it’s not as if everyone will suddenly become glued to the Red Zone coverage on television every Sunday evening. Yet, it was one of the world’s wealthiest countries, and it punches about its weight in influence. The NFL is the hottest ticket in town this September, but what will be interesting is what comes after. It will not supplant Gaelic Games, as they are too wrapped up in Irish identity, but it can become an essential player in a sports-mad country.
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