When the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings run onto the turf of Croke Park in September, it won’t just be a sporting spectacle, it will mark one of the most ambitious commercial plays ever undertaken in Irish sport, writes Rob Hartnett.
With a €10m investment from the Irish state and a projected economic boost of up to €25m, the NFL’s first-ever regular season game here represents the latest in Ireland’s advance towards securing its position as a top-tier nation on the global sports hosting map.
The game will take place on Sunday, September 28, when 76,000 fans will fill the Dublin stadium, with more than 600,000 having queued online for tickets when they went on sale in June.
Demand for this fixture outpaced similar games in London, Berlin and Madrid, a strong early indicator that Ireland’s hosting ambitions are matched by fan enthusiasm.
At the core of this landmark event is a deep strategic push by the NFL to globalise its brand and tap into new commercial markets.
The league is increasing its international slate from five to eight games this season, with venues in Berlin, Madrid, São Paulo and three in London joining Dublin on the global calendar.
Australia has already been confirmed for next season.
Ireland’s inclusion in this elite club is no accident. The Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the league’s most historic and popular franchises, have long-standing ties to Ireland through the Rooney family, founders of the team and proud Irish-Americans.
The late Dan Rooney, former US ambassador to Ireland, laid much of the groundwork for this moment during his tenure in Dublin.
Today, the Steelers are one of five NFL teams granted marketing rights in Ireland under the league’s Global Markets Program, alongside the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Those marketing rights open the door for brand partnerships, community engagement, and most crucially, longterm business development.
Big Money, Big Returns?
The Irish government’s €10m investment has drawn some scrutiny, particularly given pressures on public spending elsewhere.
But this is very much an investment play with the return likely to be a multiple many times that figure, in every way of looking at it.
Drawing comparisons with past NFL games in London and Munich, government advisers estimate a potential economic boost between €85m and €130m, with some independent analyses putting the figure closer to €250m when considering long-term tourism and brand exposure.
The NFL itself is investing between €14m and €18m to stage the Dublin game, covering logistics, operations and local activations.
That level of commitment signals confidence in the market and a desire to make the Dublin fixture more than just a one-off.
Nothing has yet been formally agreed, but the review that will take place after the game is being done in a very positive frame of mind from all parties, including the NFL, the government and Dublin City Council.
Sectors set to benefit most include hospitality, transport and tourism.
With tens of thousands of fans expected to travel from the US and mainland Europe, Dublin’s hotels and restaurants are preparing for a bumper weekend.
Additional tax revenue of up to €20m is also forecast, according to Department of Tourism projections.
One of the most visible early commercial wins came via Aer Lingus, which signed a four-year deal to become the official airline of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a founding partner of ’Steelers Ireland’.
The deal includes branding around the game and supports youth development initiatives like NFL Flag, the league’s global grassroots programme, which launched in Ireland in 2024, and will play towards an Olympic Games debut in 2028.
The airline also benefits from strong alignment with transatlantic fan travel, positioning Dublin as a gateway city for US-Ireland commerce and tourism.
The NFL Dublin game may be a singular fixture for now, but there’s a bigger playbook in motion.
The league has flagged its intention to embed itself more deeply into European markets, with talk of a future European division by the early 2030s.
Dublin’s successful hosting of this game, along with the goodwill built up hosting over the past decade of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, could position Ireland as a repeat destination or even a hub for future NFL activity.
NFL
Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas passing the ball during the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Georgia Tech v Boston College in 2016. (Pic: Peter Fitzpatrick/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Beyond the match itself, the NFL’s growing Irish footprint includes increased investment in schools programmes, flag football expansion and commercial partnerships.
While the September game will be a defining moment, it is also designed to be the launchpad for brand building outside the US.
Croke Park on September 28 will be a moment where global sport, strategic investment and national ambition will collide on one of the biggest stages Irish sport has ever seen.
Rob Hartnett is the founder of Sport for Business, a publishing, events and networking business