Brand USA Sets Sights on NFL Fans Abroad

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Nov 20, 2013, 12:54 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand USA, the public-private partnership responsible for promoting the United States as a premier travel destination, today announced an international marketing partnership with the National Football League. The NFL is one of Brand USA's first sports league partners in the "Brand USA Live Entertainment" platform. This platform will provide an opportunity for Brand USA's destination partners to leverage their live entertainment offerings in an effort to increase international visitation to destinations across the United States.

Furthermore, it will provide travel organizations from around the world resources and knowledge to expand their USA product offerings by utilizing iconic USA brands and entertainment experiences by featuring world-class entertainment experiences such as professional sports, concerts and theatrical productions.

"NFL football is very much a part of American culture with an exciting game day experience that is unique to the United States," said Christopher Thompson, president and CEO for Brand USA. "Brand USA wants to invite fans from abroad to experience the energy and excitement of an NFL game, starting from the pre-game tailgate to the final whistle, in any one of the leagues 32 host cities."

As part of the NFL partnership, Brand USA has launched campaigns in Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany to reach international fans and inspire travel to the USA. One of the primary focuses of this campaign has been a strong engaging brand presence on the ground at international NFL events, the biggest of which being the NFL International Series games in London. Brand USA's event efforts have focused not only on providing attendees a fun and engaging on-site experience, but also amplifying its travel message digitally through social media to reach beyond the onsite activity.

More than 700,000 fans attended the events around the two London games (Minnesota Vikings vs. Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 29, and Jacksonville Jaguars vs. San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, October 27); with over 500,000 fans attending the Regent Street Block Party on September 28. Both International Series games were played in front of sold out crowds at London's Wembley Stadium.

Earlier this season Brand USA also hosted the Vince Lombardi trophy at the Canadian leg of the NFL Touchdown tour giving fans an opportunity to see one of the most coveted trophies in the world first hand. The NFL Touchdown tour was held in major cities across Canada attracting thousands of fans of all ages and providing a little taste of the American football experience. As part of Brand USA's campaign in Canada, they also invited various tour operators and travel providers from the Toronto area to attend the September 15 NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the Carolina Panthers. This event provided an opportunity for operators to experience the excitement of an NFL game in person in order to better equip them with the tools to offer such an experience to their customers in Canada.

NFL International Commercial Director Marc Reeves added: "We are delighted to be working with Brand USA and assist in their mission to encourage people from around the globe to come explore this country and experience all of the great aspects that the United States has to offer. There is no substitute for a live NFL game experience and we welcome fans from everywhere to join us."

About Brand USA

Brand USA is the public-private partnership responsible for promoting the United States as a premier travel destination and communicating U.S. entry/exit policies and procedures. Established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010, the organization's mission is to increase international visitation to the United States while working in partnership with the travel industry to maximize the economic and social benefits of travel. These benefits include creating jobs essential to the economy and fostering understanding between people and cultures.

About the NFL

The National Football League is the most-watched sport in the United States, with more than 160 million tuning in annually for Super Bowl, the climax of the season. Since 2007, the NFL has been playing sold-out regular-season games in the UK and has a commitment to play at least one game per year in London through 2016. The Jacksonville Jaguars recently committed to playing a home game at Wembley Stadium in each year, 2013 to 2016. The NFL airs in the UK across a wide variety of broadcast partners, including BBC TV and Radio, Sky Sports and Channel 4.

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SOURCE Brand USA