Ravens Insider: Ravens expand marketing rights to UK, likely setting up more international games

[ExtremeRavens]

PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Ravens are expanding their reach across the pond.

On Monday, the NFL announced that four new teams are participating in the league’s Global Markets Program. The Ravens, along with the Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers, are new members beginning in 2025.

In doing so, the Ravens were granted marketing rights in the United Kingdom, the Commanders in the United Arab Emirates, the Packers in Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom and the Chargers in Greece. The UAE and Greece are both new markets for the NFL.

Put another way, it also means those teams can likely expect to be part of the league’s growing list of international games in the near future.

Already, there will be seven international games this season — up from five a year ago — and the NFL could have as many as 10 in 2026 and 16 if the regular-season expands to 18 games.

“Right now the resolution that the owners passed is for up to eight regular-season games,” NFL executive vice president of club business, international and league events Peter O’Reilly said Monday at the league’s annual owners meeting. “That’s part of the current resolution. That does not include what we call the club opportunity model, which the [Jacksonville] Jaguars take advantage of. So, this year the seven is the six [NFL international games] plus the Jaguars game [at Wembley Stadium]. We have the ability to go up to eight via the resolution, not including [the] Jaguars game — or games. That’s the framework at which we look at 2026.”

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The Ravens have played twice overseas, at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2017 against the host Jaguars and at Tottenham Stadium, also in London, in 2023 against the host Tennessee Titans. Baltimore was blown out by the Jaguars, 44-7, and beat the Titans, 24-16.

While the Ravens play road games this season against three teams that have already been announced as host organizations for international games — the Cleveland Browns (London), Pittsburgh Steelers (Ireland) and Miami Dolphins (Spain) — it seems unlikely that Baltimore would play any of those opponents abroad in 2025.

The Browns and Steelers are AFC North rivals and the league typically does not like to take away a divisional home game and move it to an international site. The Dolphins, meanwhile, play at Hard Rock Stadium, about 30 minutes from where Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson grew up in South Florida. With the Ravens committing to marketing efforts in the U.K., playing elsewhere would be an awkward fit.

The Ravens also cannot host a game in London this year, with the Browns, Jaguars and New York Jets are already slated to play home games there.

Baltimore will have a chance to expand its brand internationally, though, through a variety of avenues, including fan engagement, events, commercial opportunities and NFL Flag development. Since 2003, the UK Ravens fan group has been connecting fans in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Ravens Titans Football

Ian Walton/AP

A Ravens fan cheers for his team before entering Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 15, 2023, in London. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

“We already have a strong support system in place from our U.K. Ravens community, and we’re thrilled to join the NFL’s Global Market Program to grow our fanbase throughout the United Kingdom and beyond,” Ravens senior vice president of marketing Brad Downs said, in part, in a statement. “It has long been a goal of ours to further expand our brand and reach our supporters globally.”

With the addition of the Ravens and the other teams, 29 of the league’s 32 teams will participate in 21 international markets as part of the program, which was launched in 2022. That’s up from 25 teams and 19 markets in 2024.

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Teams are able to apply for rights to international markets through a proposal submitted to the league’s International Committee, which then awards rights for a five-year term. Nine teams that currently hold rights will also expand to additional countries: Arizona Cardinals (Canada), Detroit Lions (Brazil), Indianapolis Colts (Switzerland), Kansas City Chiefs (Spain, Ireland, UK), Las Vegas Raiders (Australia, New Zealand), Los Angeles Rams (UAE), Philadelphia Eagles (Brazil), San Francisco 49ers (UAE) and Seattle Seahawks (Australia, New Zealand).

As for when the Ravens might play their next international game? That’s still to be determined. But Baltimore has expressed interest in continuing to play abroad.

“We have talked to the league,” team president Sashi Brown said Sunday about the league’s International Series. “We also know there’s a large demand for the Ravens, generally, and Lamar and the growth internationally is something that we embrace fully.”

The NFL’s full schedule will be announced in May.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.

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