The NFL learned “a lot” from its first year in Madrid and underlines its “long-term” commitment to Spain

The NFL, the American football league, learned “a lot” from its first game in Madrid, “a resounding success” that helps them improve for the second one they will hold in the capital next November, especially “with more experiences for fans,” and is clear that its commitment to Spain is “long-term.”

The NFL played its first game in Spain last year, a duel between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, a scenario that will be repeated on November 8 with the Atlanta Falcons-Cincinnati Bengals.

“Last year, in Madrid, we felt that it was a resounding success in our first year. You always learn a lot in the first year, and so it was, we learned a lot and we hope that our partners, both at the Bernabéu and at Real Madrid, in the city and in the region, have also learned it,” said Peter O’Reilly, Executive Vice President of the NFL of Communication, Public Affairs and Policy, in a telematic conference this Wednesday.

The manager stressed that that first international match in the Spanish capital “was a resounding success in every sense” and that this allows them to “continue building on that base” for this second year where the Falcons and the Bengals will face each other on November 8 at the Santiago Bernabéu.

O’Reilly recalled that after the first year where everything is new, in the second “everything works a little better at an operational level.” “This allows us to continue growing, create more experiences for fans in and around Madrid before matches, and offer more high-level football,” he warned, celebrating the fact that in Madrid they can count on “first-class facilities” and “first-class” partners.

“We are committed to Spain for the long term. Last year around this time we were opening our permanent office in Madrid; now Rafa (de los Santos, director of NFL Spain) and his team have been there, and we are building on that foundation. So right now we are focused on our collaboration with Real Madrid, but we are committed to Spain for the long term and the games are a fundamental part of that,” he added.

O’Reilly reiterated that “there is an excellent foundation to build on,” but that the league remains “humble and aware” that they have “a lot to learn” and “the need to connect with the right partners in Spain.” “I think in the first year we forged good alliances of trust in Spain, in Madrid, and I think we will continue to focus on offering a great game for the fans, but also in a way that is really relevant on a cultural level,” he said.

“I was proud of what we did before the game and everything we have organized around those games, so I think we will continue to create special moments around those games and the stadium. And, with more planning time in the second year, we have the opportunity to offer more activities for fans in the weeks before the game. We want to continue taking advantage of the initial momentum in Spain and in Madrid, and if opportunities arise to grow and consolidate what we are doing in the market, we will certainly analyze them,” he said.