Back in 2022, the Bucs had the distinction of playing in the first NFL regular season game to be held in Germany. Four years later, could they be returning to Deutschland for another game?
Pewter Report has heard whispers that the Buccaneers are unlikely to lose one of their home games to play in the NFL International Series this season, but with Tuesday morning’s announcement that the Lions will be hosting a game at FC Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena in Munich this fall, the possibility of Tampa Bay making its return to Germany is on the table.
Although the full slate of international games will be announced later this spring and the full regular season schedule will be unveiled in May as usual, the rotation works out to where this year, the NFC South matches up with the NFC North. So, the Buccaneers are going to play the Lions as part of that, and that game is scheduled to be on the road. Now, the question is whether Todd Bowles’ team will be visiting Ford Field in Detroit for the fourth time since January of 2024 or headed over to Munich for the second-time ever?
Detroit’s home opponents for 2026 include Tampa Bay, Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, New Orleans, New England, Tennessee and both New York teams. Of those teams, Tampa Bay, New England and the New York Giants also have international marketing and commercial rights in Germany, as Detroit does. To be clear, though, that doesn’t mean the other opponents aren’t eligible for the game in Munich, as the Seahawks didn’t have marketing rights in Germany until 2024, two years after they played the Buccaneers in that historic game.
Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today
The Buccaneers were granted marketing rights in Germany back in 2021. Eleven NFL teams hold marketing and commercial rights in Germany through the NFL Global Markets Program, with the Falcons, Panthers, Lions, Packers, Colts, Chiefs, Patriots, Giants, Steelers and Seahawks joining the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay, Kansas City, New England, Carolina and Atlanta have had longer-term relationships with the market, with Detroit, New York, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Indianapolis added in 2024.
The NFL’s Global Markets Program launched in January of 2022, and it grants teams with access to international markets for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization activations. The globalization of the NFL has long been a goal for the league, and this program is designed to help individual teams build their brands globally as well.
In that first-ever game played in Germany back in 2022, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers beat the Seahawks, 21-16, in front of a crowd of 69,811 at Allianz Arena. It was the franchise’s first-ever international victory after three losses between London’s Wembley Stadium (2009, 2011) and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (2019) in its other games outside the U.S.
Austria Or Switzerland Could Be In The Bucs’ Future At Some Point
While Tuesday’s news focused on the Lions hosting a game in Germany this season – opening the door for the Buccaneers to potentially be involved – it’s worth noting that both Detroit and Tampa Bay not only have international home marketing rights in Germany, but also Austria and Switzerland.
News of that expansion opportunity for the Buccaneers came back in 2023, and while the NFL has yet to announce plans for a future game in Austria or Switzerland, there’s at least a chance a trip to either country could be in Tampa Bay’s future.
Bucs owner Bryan Glazer and COO Brian Ford – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
“We are excited to expand our international reach to include Austria and Switzerland, in addition to our ongoing efforts in Germany,” Buccaneers chief operating officer Brian Ford said back in 2023. “As we witnessed firsthand last season, there is a passion for the NFL and the Buccaneers in that region of the world. We look forward to building upon the successes we have experienced in Germany, while continuing to connect with our fans in all three countries and growing our game globally.”
That means Tampa Bay has three global markets, though other teams also have rights within these countries as well:
Germany: Falcons, Panthers, Lions, Colts, Chiefs, Patriots, Giants, Steelers, Seahawks, Bucs
Austria: Lions, Colts, Chiefs, Patriots, Seahawks, Bucs
Switzerland: Lions, Chiefs, Patriots, Seahawks, Bucs
We’ll wait and see whether 2026 brings a fifth-ever international game the Buccaneers’ way, and perhaps it’s worth keeping Austria and Switzerland in the back of your minds, too, Pewter People. Just in case you’re looking to overlap a future trip to Europe with a Buccaneers game.