The San Francisco 49ers, an NFL team, announced a partnership with Foliatti Casino, one of the largest casino chains in Mexico.
The objective is to increase the presence and popularity of the franchise in the Mexican market, which is considered strategic for the American football league.
The partnership provides marketing actions and activations for 49ers fans in Mexico, such as sweepstakes, promotions, events and exclusive experiences.
Foliatti Casino will also have rights to use the 49ers brand and assets, as well as access to content and information about the team.
Partnership is the first of its kind in the NFL
This is the first time that an NFL team has partnered with a casino outside the United States. The 49ers are one of the most popular teams in Mexico, where the NFL has a large fan base.
According to the league, the country has around 20 million American football fans, making it the NFL’s second smallest international market, behind only Canada.
The partnership with Foliatti Casino is part of the 49ers‘ strategy to consolidate itself as a global team, which seeks to connect with fans in different countries and cultures.
The team already has partnerships with companies such as Dignity Health, Levi’s, Pepsi, SAP and United Airlines.
NFL has international expansion plans
The NFL has invested in expanding its presence in Mexico, where it has held several regular season games since 2005.
The last game was in 2019, between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, with an audience of more than 76 thousand spectators.
The league plans to hold more games in the country and intensify fan engagement initiatives, including broadcasts, events, social and sports programs.
Recently, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the league intends to play a regular season game in a new country in 2024.
Brazil is officially one of the options, while Spain emerges as the most likely destination in Europe.