Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund have joined forces with NFL franchise the Pittsburgh Steelers to launch a partnership centred around fan engagement.
Both sporting teams will collaborate on fan activations, content and initiatives to merge the worlds of European football and American football. Dortmund stated that the partnership goes beyond their mutual yellow and black colours.
Marc Lingenhoff, Managing Director for Dortmund Americas, Inc., stated: “Borussia Dortmund and the Pittsburgh Steelers share more than colours – we share the commitment to bring sports and culture together through the power of our brands. We are rooted in history and bonded by tradition.
“When exploring various expansion opportunities for BVB in the United States, we saw the Steelers as the ideal partner with tremendous success on the field, as well as a legacy of excellence off the field.
“Known for its resilience and community-first approach, the Steelers are a cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s identity – and the same can be said for BVB in our Dortmund community as well. We are proud and excited to bring this synergistic partnership to life on the global stage, with the fan at the centre of everything we do.”
To kick-off the partnership, Dortmund hosted Steelers safety and two-time Pro Bowler Miles Killebrew to attend the German club’s defeat to Augsburg at the Signal Iduna Park in early March.
Dortmund aimed to demonstrate the club’s fervent fanbase’s ambition to Killebrew when he sat at the club’s famous Yellow Wall stand, widely regarded as one of the largest and loudest football stands in European football.
“I was blown away by my experience at Dortmund,” said Killebrew.
“From the minute we arrived at Signal Iduna Park, it was clear to me how special an organisation BVB is. From the ‘Yellow Wall’, to the atmosphere and the fans, it was a memorable day for me and I look forward to returning someday. It will be exciting to see the relationship between the Steelers and BVB grow in the future.”
The partnership has already seen business connections being made between the two teams, while a first-ever German-based flag football clinic at the BVB Football Academy featuring a Steelers player is scheduled to take place in mid-April.
Pittsburgh Steelers Director of Business Development and Strategy, Dan Rooney, commented: “The partnership with Borussia Dortmund, the first-of-its-kind for the Steelers organisation, builds off the deep connections both of our teams have with the communities we represent, as well as our shared values, rooted in our industrial pasts, of hard work, determination and a winning spirit.
“We look forward to what’s next as we support each other’s success in reaching fans in new markets and raising the profiles of the cities we call home.”
The Dortmund partnership falls in line with the Steelers’ expansion efforts in Germany after holding marketing rights in the country as a part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program.
Whilst the Steelers have yet to play a regular season game in Germany, the NFL is making a concerted effort to grow its German fanbase by hosting games in the country. Since 2022, the NFL have hosted four regular season games in Germany, with a game set to be held in Berlin this year for the first time.
The Steelers are set to take part in the first NFL game held in the Republic of Ireland to be held at Croke Park in Dublin. Their opponent has yet to be confirmed.
