Valeria Contado
September 9, 2024 – 8:15 AM
Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers starred in the first NFL game in Brazil (Credit: Valeria Contado)
Despite the cold, the night of last Friday, September 6, was festive for the 47,236 fans who were present at the Neo Química Arena and were able to watch the first game of the National Football League (NFL) in Latin America.
The city of São Paulo was chosen to host the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers in the regular season. According to a Sponsorlink study conducted by Ibope Repucom, the sport has reached a fan base of 37 million in Brazil. This means that the country is the third largest market for the sport, trailing only the United States and Mexico.
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Therefore, the league decided to promote a complete experience in Brazil by bringing the game and the entire atmosphere of the NFL, in an initiative that involved actions from the sports entity (which works with Effect Sportes in the national territory) in partnership with Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, the Government of the City of São Paulo, and SPTuris.
In order to make this possible, the stadium, which belongs to the football club, had its entire structure adapted to host the game. The field was painted with the NFL and Eagles logos, which was the home team, along with the yard markers and even the goalposts installed in place of the traditional goal frames.
For the brands, in addition to the field signage, the large screen was one of the assets present in the stadium. Through it, the audience could see the score, the game time, who had possession of the ball, data and statistics, and a rotating display of global sponsors’ logos, which included Accenture, Cisco, Fedex, Fit, Uber, Verizon Business, and Visa.
The first NFL game in Brazil, by the way, attracted sponsorships and partnerships from 30 brands, which took advantage not only of the Arena’s environment but also promoted actions involving the sport before and after the match.
Safety and transportation at the NFL debut in Brazil
Despite the skepticism expressed by some league players, safety was one of the main concerns of the organization carried out by the São Paulo city authorities. A massive operation was developed involving a bomb squad, riot police around the stadium – which assisted in the arrival and departure of buses with the coaching staff and players – drones, and helicopters to ensure nothing went wrong. According to data from ge, over 900 agents were made available to handle security during the event.
As for transportation, the city had access to the entire railway network of the CPTM with 24-hour operations from Friday to Saturday morning. The subway also operated all night long.
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Additionally, urban mobility apps and taxis had special locations designated for loading and unloading passengers at the Arena.
Global Meeting
In addition to Brazilians cheering for one of the two teams, or fans of the sport, the match welcomed participants from different parts of the world, many of whom were from the United States.
In the vicinity of the Neo Química Arena, it was possible to hear various languages mixing with the sounds already familiar to Brazilians on game days. To bring these fans closer to the attraction, the NFL promoted a tailgate next to the Neo Química Arena where sponsoring brands could conduct activities, such as an American-style barbecue promoted by Perdigão, or giveaways carried out by XP.
Special Guests
Anitta was responsible for performing the halftime show of the game in Brazil. The Brazilian singer chose a repertoire with a variety of languages for the just over six minutes she performed.
As in the Super Bowl, the setup and takedown occurred quickly and efficiently to not take up too much time of the 15-minute halftime allotted for athlete rest.
In addition to Anitta, Luisa Sonza represented Brazil during the singing of the national anthem. This was one of the most talked-about moments by the foreign fans present at the Arena. Even after the end of the performance, the crowd continued to sing the verses of the anthem.
Rayssa Leal, Rebeca Andrade, Bia Souza, and other Olympic medalists were honored before the match began, along with ceremonies that included the performance of the American national anthem and an action involving the American and Brazilian military.
Brazilian music was also a key element in the experience promoted by the NFL in Brazil. Before the game, the Packers’ hospitality featured a samba circle playing classics from the Brazilian music genre.
During the match, songs like Evidências by Chitãozinho and Xororó, A internet é tóxica by MC Saci, and Tá ok by Kevin o Chris and Dennis were part of the repertoire that accompanied the Eagles Cheerleaders’ choreography. Just like during the national anthem, the sertanejo song performed by Chitãozinho and Xororó was sung by the crowd even after the DJ responsible for the music at the arena had already turned off the sound.
The Eagles’ head coach, Nick Sirianni, thanked Brazil and said during the post-game press conference that he was moved by the atmosphere created by the fans in the stadium who also chanted their teams’ songs.
National and International Coverage
In addition to RedeTV! and ESPN, broadcasters that already show the regular season NFL games in Brazil, CazéTV was one of the channels that covered the match. The channel of streamer Casimiro Miguel made its first transmission of the sport, marking the start of the international game season happening in the 2024/25 season, which is also part of its schedule.
However, in addition to the broadcast, the first NFL game in Brazil involved numerous national and international media outlets covering the event. Professionals from Cancun, Argentina, the United States, and other locations were in the Arena to report the match to the world. The North American league also invited specialized vehicles (independent or not) to cover the event.
Brands, for their part, leveraged the power of influencers to showcase the entire environment. Fred Bruno, currently a professional at SporTV, Lara Santana, a content creator, and Bernardo Soares from Reviews do Mustache, are some of the names that were present at the match.