The NFL on Wednesday announced the Colts have been designated as the home team for the league's first regular season game in Berlin, which will take place during the 2025 season.
This will be the first time the Colts will host a regular season home game abroad as part of the NFL International Series. The game will be played at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, and the game date, kickoff time and opponent will be announced later this year.
"The NFL is making history in Berlin, and the Colts are proud to be part of this landmark event in one of the world's most historic cities," Colts Owner & CEO Jim Irsay said. "The NFL has become a global brand, and we're looking forward to growing American football in Germany and expanding Colts Nation's footprint around the world. This game also provides a unique opportunity for our local Indiana partners to engage with German businesses, customers and fans this season and in the future."
For updates and FAQs, visit Colts.com/Berlin.
The Colts have played two international regular season games in club history: In 2016 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London, and in 2023 against the Patriots in Germany at Frankfurt Stadium. The Colts were the visiting team in both games.
The NFL in 2025 expanded its International Series to include up to eight regular season games. All 32 teams are required to host a home game internationally at least once every eight seasons. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets will host home games in London this season, while Spain will host its first NFL regular season game this year in Madrid.
The NFL first held a regular season game in Germany in 2022, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers facing the Seattle Seahawks at Allianz Arena in Munich. In 2023, the NFL expanded in Germany to a pair of games in Frankfurt, including the Colts' Week 10 win over the Patriots at Frankfurt Stadium. The NFL returned to Munich's Allianz Arena in 2024; with the Colts' game in Berlin, Germany will join England as the only international countries to host games in three different stadiums.
"Germany is an important market for the NFL, with continued growth in fandom and passion for the game," NFL Germany General Manager Alexander Steinforth said. "After four successful international games in-market across Munich and Frankfurt, we're thrilled to have the Colts as the designated team for our first-ever regular season game in Berlin in 2025 — a city that holds so much football history and is a true testament to the international expansion and growth of the league."
The Colts will be the first NFL team to play multiple games in Germany.
"It was great to see the Colts go 1-0 on my home turf in Germany in 2023," Björn Werner, a former Colts linebacker and NFL analyst for RTL in Germany, said. "Now, hosting a game in the historic Olympic Stadium in Berlin is the next big step. I'm pumped to see how we can keep growing the game, not just in Germany and Austria, but all over Europe. Let's go 2-0!"
Berlin's Olympic Stadium has a capacity of 74,475, is home to the German Bundesliga's Hertha BSC and hosted the 1936 Olympic games, made famous by the remarkable achievements of American track star Jesse Owens. It hosted five NFL preseason games from 1990-1994.
The Colts in 2024 began an organization-wide push to grow American football and the Colts' brand in Germany and Austria as part of the NFL's Global Markets Program. Those efforts have included appointing Werner, the Colts' first-round pick in 2013 and a leading NFL analyst in Europe, as an official team ambassador.
Werner, who is a broadcaster for NFL German TV rightsholder RTL and co-hosts the popular "Football Bromance" podcast, has been a massive presence in growing American football in Europe. Werner's Colts jersey debuted in the NFL Europe Shop in October, and was the top-selling NFL jersey in Europe that month.
In Week 3 of the 2024 season, Werner was part of RTL's German-language broadcast of the Colts' win over the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Colts also assisted in other NFL events held across Germany during the 2024 season, including supporting a local school from Saarland as they competed in the German Flag Football Championships in Berlin in December.
For more information on the Colts' international initiatives, go to Colts.com/International.
"With today's announcement of the Indianapolis Colts as the designated team of the NFL Berlin game, our joint journey with the NFL continues. This announcement is special for many Berliners, as there is a close connection to the team through Björn Werner, our NFL hero and former Colts player," Senator for the Interior and Sports, State of Berlin Iris Spranger said. "We look forward to welcoming the Colts to our sports metropolis. It will be a football festival like we have never experienced in Berlin before. For the Colts. For the fans. And as they say in Indianapolis: for the shoe!"
On Location, the Official Hospitality Provider of the NFL, has launched its Priority Access deposit program for this game. On Location ticket and hospitality packages include roundtrip airfare, guided tours, premium seating, and other unique opportunities. To place a fully refundable, time-stamped deposit assuring first choice of tickets and experiences, visit onlocationexp.com/coltsgermany.
General ticketing info will be released this spring. For more info and updates, visit Colts.com/Berlin.
A look back at the Colts' international games featuring the trip to Tokyo in 2005, the journey in 2016 to London and the 2023 appearance in Frankfurt.