It’s official. The Green Bay Packers face the Philadelphia Eagles in their Week 1 opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
As a European fan myself, I am always an advocate of the Packers’ international growth, but I understand the complaints of domestic fans who don’t want to lose the opportunity to watch their team play. . I understood! If my local sports team left Ireland to play thousands of miles away, I’d be pissed too.
2022. , the Packers finally gave in and took their international medicine, giving the home game to London. Although it proved to be a disaster on the course and the 8-point favorites of the day, the commercial success of their transatlantic trip was evident. Few, if any, London 36 games have received such one-sided support as the Packers received on the streets of North London and at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that day. They are truly a global brand. That makes it somewhat ironic that the Packers are one of seven franchises not participating in the NFL’s Global Markets Program. Maybe they don’t want to suggest to the league office that they’re willing to lose another game at Lambeau Field — 8 out of 9 home games a year are a valuable asset to the entire Green Bay economy, not just the Packers.
Thankfully, the trip to Sao Paulo in Week 1 does not come at the expense of a home game. It also transforms Philadelphia’s initially tough road environment at the 49,000-capacity Corinthians Arena into a crowd dominated by the partisan Packers.
Brazil is not London. This is not Mexico. Neither is Germany. Brazil is a completely different animal for the Packers.
Last season, NFL Brazil did a study that found the Packers as the most popular NFL franchise in the country with 12.3% of all football fans. After announcing the game news in December, the NFL revealed that there are about 38 million American football fans in the giant nation. Add those numbers together and you get about 4.75 million Packers fans who call Brazil home. Wisconsin has a total population of 5.7 million. How many people are we talking about here.
Note that some Brazilians have been skeptical of the NFL’s published figure of 38 million fans, and many believe that about half that number would be more realistic. However, everyone I spoke to agrees that the Packers are the biggest fan base in Brazil. Being known as “Team South America” is pretty cool.
And these fans aren’t just casual followers either. Brazilian fan engagement on social media is off the charts.
Twitter/X accounts such as Packers Brazil (@PackersBR), founded by Marcus Rovere in 2011, and Cheeseheads Brasil (@cheesheadsbr) have built large followings by delivering quality Packers content to their fans.
Brazilian Packers writer Wendell Ferreira, A-to-Z Sports and formerly of CheeseheadTV, is one of the best content creators in Packers media right now.
The same goes for Felipe Reis Acet, who covers the Zone Coverage team. Last August, he wrote a great article about being a Packers fan in Brazil. My favorite quote from this story:.
“The vibrant green-and-gold hues of Green Bay’s emblem, unexpectedly harmonizing with the colors of the Brazilian flag and forging a visual bridge between a modest Wisconsin town and the sun-soaked avenues of Brazil.”
Not only do the Packers have a chance to capitalize on this from a business perspective, but take a few steps away from all of this and think…this is so cool.
The first game of the regular season is on. us in the southern hemisphere is an important event for the NFL. Putting it in the opening weekend’s Friday night premiere draws one of the biggest television audiences of the entire season. The crowd will be great and the atmosphere will be unmatched.
Some fans balk at the idea of the Packers playing this game. Some fans have mentioned that they do not want the team to be under the pressure of international travel. Mark Murphy mentioned some travel issues, including a possible stop in Milwaukee before the long drive south.
I’m here to tell everyone that it really isn’t that deep. Sure, it’s a long way, but it’s only a small time difference, which means a lot less delay than a trip to Europe. It’s also the first week with 2 extra days off. It doesn’t ruin their season or anything.
Finally, some have complained that the Packers haven’t started the season at Lambeau Field in six years — since a classic comeback against the Bears in 2018. This is the longest active period in the entire league without a home game.
But when the Packers head to Brazil in Week 1, they enjoy nine of their remaining 16 home games — and everyone knows Northern Wisconsin will have home field advantage later in the season. Save your home game for December!
All in all, this is a great opportunity for the Packers organization and fans. The NFL is doing everything in preparation for this game. You may not care, but many fans enjoy the many anthems, halftime shows, and all the other fanfare the league puts out in Sao Paulo.
It’s sure to be a great experience for fans, whether you’re in the stadium or watching from afar..