The Green Bay Packers are going international. And no, they are not losing one of their very lucrative home games. Which was supposed to be their season opener on the road in Philadelphia, has been moved to an international location. All the way down the continent; the Acme Packers will fly to Brazil to play their first game in Brazil against the Eagles. Shedding light on the whole situation, Packers CEO Mark Murphy expressed that the international games are very important for the NFL, and the club is down to support the league in its global efforts in any way possible.
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He also acknowledged that the Packers, due to their rich history, are quite popular in South America. But he believes that they are still very far from becoming as influential as Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, the duo that inspired millions of Brazilians to pledge their allegiance to the Patriots. Although the numbers Murphy offered might be incorrect, the same sentiment about Bündchen is echoed by Pat McAfee.
On the latest episode of the Pat McAfee Show, the former Colts punter McAfee noted that he and his team had been hearing about the increasing craze for American football early in their media careers. Along with Italy and Canada, Brazil was another international spot that attracted an audience for American football. Looking at the increasing craze, McAfee speculates, “I assume the Gisele connection is a big reason why.”
“Gisele’s the GOAT of modeling. And I assume Brazil’s very proud that they created Gisele — The GOAT. (She was) actually married to the GOAT of this sport,” The punter turned media analyst adds. “And although Brazil will always be a soccer country, one of the greatest soccer countries of all time, the history is so deep down there. It’s like I like the fact that they saw football, were introduced to football, loved football and now they’ve earned a big time game. It’s not a pre-season game. This is a big time game to kick off the entire season (for the packers). Congrats to Brazil.”
The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will be kicking off the NFL season in Brazil #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Oiqz7p6fRO
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 10, 2024
It is the first regular season game ever in South America. And definitely, one of the biggest models in the world being from there would’ve sparked an interest in citizens as to what the game is all about.
Gisele Bündchen Is Not the Only Reason Behind Uptick in NFL Brazil
According to France24.com, “Mr. Gisele Bündchen,” a.k.a. Tom Brady was a major reason behind the increase in interest in American Football. Hollywood and hip-hop references were another in for sports fans. But the news outlet also notes that the emigration of their soccer stars to other more lucrative leagues has created a vacuum for new sports to come in and make space.
The #Packers have the largest NFL fan base in Brazil. pic.twitter.com/yW8z78xSiv
— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) April 9, 2024
And American Football is right at the doorstep, waiting to be accepted. The right notes have been hit, and the numbers have spoken. In short, Brazil has been chosen. The number of Brazilians who were fans of the sport stood at 3 million in 2015. Today, that number stands at 38 million, out of which 20 percent are categorized as avid fans. The South American nation is the second largest market for the NFL outside of the US, after Mexico.
