Pittsburgh Steelers outline ambition ‘to play an NFL game’ in Ireland

Pittsburgh Steelers representatives will be in Croke Park on Thursday to outline details of their successful bid in attaining NFL marketing rights for the island of Ireland – which includes an ambition of eventually playing again in Dublin.

The Steelers played the Chicago Bears in a pre-season game at Croke Park in July 1997, a match that remains the only NFL contest ever to take place in Ireland.

Daniel Rooney, director of business development and strategy with the Steelers, will be in Dublin for a media event on Thursday, as will Kordell Stewart – the former Pittsburgh quarterback who played in that 1997 Croke Park game.

GAA president Larry McCarthy will also be in attendance at Croke Park and while no formal plans for a particular fixture have been made, it is understood all parties hope this announcement will pave the way for an NFL game to take place at the venue again in the future.

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The Jackonsville Jaguars, who have hosted several games in London in recent years, have also been awarded rights for the Republic of Ireland though the NFL’s Global Markets Program.

While these links do not have any direct bearing on overseas scheduling, they do increase the chances significantly of a regular season fixture making its way to these shores in the future for the very first time.

The Rooney family have strong Irish roots and Dan Rooney, the former owner of the Steelers, was United States Ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012.

In a statement, Pittsburgh Steelers said: “The team has already launched dedicated Irish social media accounts and intends to hold its first in-market event this upcoming season by hosting a fan watch party. As part of its long-term planning, the team aspires to return to the island to play an NFL game.”

The NFL’s Global Markets Program was launched in January 2022, granting franchises access to specific international markets for ‘marketing, fan engagement and commercialisation activations as part of an important, long-term strategic effort to enable clubs to build their brands globally while driving NFL fan growth beyond the US.’

Franchises apply for access to selected international markets and are awarded those rights for at least a five-year term.

“We are excited to have been granted the rights to engage more deeply with our fans in Ireland,” stated Steelers president Art Rooney II. “My father did so much in Ireland during his lifetime, first as one of the founders of the Ireland Funds, then as ambassador. We look forward to growing our fan base and the love of American football in the years to come.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers, founded by Arthur Joseph Rooney in 1933, are the fifth oldest franchise in the NFL. They have won six Super Bowl titles, joint with the New England Patriots at the top of the roll of honour.