Detroit Lions Partner with Bundesliga Club FC Köln

The Detroit Lions and Bundesliga club FC Köln have announced a multi-year partnership to expand the global reach of both organizations, deepen fan engagement in the United States and Germany and collaborate across sports, community and commercial platforms.

The Lions and Köln will develop year-round initiatives including fan events and activations in both countries, including youth football and soccer clinics. The two franchises will create co-branded digital and social media content, driving fan engagement and storytelling across both fanbases. The partnership will also include cross-team access including hospitality, training camp visits and facility usage in both Detroit and Cologne.

“We are thrilled to launch our first international strategic partnership with 1. FC Köln to connect two incredible fanbases,” said Ashton Mullinix, senior vice president of consumer revenue and analytics for the Detroit Lions. “This collaboration brings together two teams with proud histories, resilient fanbases and unmatched loyalty from their communities… We are excited to grow the game of American football globally and create meaningful experiences for our fans both in the United States and Germany.”

FC Köln is a founding member of the Bundesliga and one of the biggest clubs in Germany. FC Köln won its first Bundesliga champions title in 1964 and won again in 1978. The club is a three-time German champion and four-time DFB-Pokal winner with over 150,000 members.

“Cologne and Detroit are not only linked by sport, but also by their history as an important location for the automotive industry,” said Philipp Liesenfeld, managing director at FC Köln. “In this case, both cities have historical links to the car manufacturer, Ford. New collaborations are an elementary building block for gaining new impetus, adopting new perspectives and tapping into new target groups. With the Detroit Lions, we have found an ideal partner to mutually expand our global reach and deepen fan engagement.”

The strategic partnership is one aspect of the Lions’ strategy to expand efforts in Germany as part of the club’s 2024 entry into the NFL‘s Global Markets Program, which awards NFL clubs international marketing rights to build brand awareness and fandom beyond the U.S.