Chiefs president Mark Donovan sees team as budding international brand

Since 2005 — the yr of the primary NFL regular-season video games being held outdoors america — the league has made it a extra vital level of focus annually to develop its model internationally. The Kansas City Chiefs have taken half in two of those video games, “internet hosting” the Detroit Lions in London in 2015 and “visiting” the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico Metropolis in 2019.

The coronavirus pandemic noticed the league pause its worldwide efforts in 2020, however it would choose up two London video games in 2021. The NFL additionally has begun exploring the possibility of playing games in Germany.

The league’s deal with increasing internationally is particularly related to the Chiefs, contemplating that in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they’ve the league’s finest participant — and a formidable supporting solid.

“Patrick is iconic, and he’s not alone,” mentioned Chiefs president Mark Donovan on Monday. “We take into consideration the opposite gamers on our workforce and their social presence, their personalities. We really feel like we’re at a really distinctive, highly effective level in our franchise — and there’s a duty. I discuss loads about being ready for fulfillment. There’s a duty in our group to make the most of each alternative to proceed to develop — and worldwide is likely one of the largest lights that’s on the market for us. The league has carried out one thing prior to now yr, and hopefully, it will likely be finalized [in] the fourth quarter this yr. It’ll give franchises the chance to designate nations to have the ability to market into. And we’re going extraordinarily aggressively after that for precisely that motive. We’re going to maximise ‘proper now.’”

In May 2020, NFL Community host (and Arrowhead Delight advocate) Peter Schrager called Mahomes the closest football player to Michael Jordan, lending credit score to Donovan’s notion.

Picture by Jamie Squire/Getty Photographs

“Patrick and Kelce and others — they’re well-known worldwide,” he added. “We’ve acquired to maximise that. We’ve acquired to reap the benefits of that. And we have now the individuals, we have now the method, we now have the chance with the league — and we completely suppose that’s one of many large, large development alternatives for us. That units you up for the long run, when you concentrate on what we do within the group, to have the ability to sit right here right now and to have the ability to say, ‘We had been a part of rising this,’ in order that 10 years from now, we’re a worldwide workforce — and we’ve acquired to try this proper now.”

One of many different gadgets that excited Donovan within the yr after COVID-19 is the Chiefs’ 2021 schedule.

“This can be essentially the most thrilling house schedule within the historical past of our franchise when you concentrate on not solely the groups, however [also] the place the groups are inside their success proper now. So from a fan perspective, it’s off the charts.”

Along with internet hosting the AFC West, the Chiefs will welcome the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We’ve grow to be this worldwide model, we’ve grow to be this model of iconic gamers,” mentioned Donovan. “Right here’s the factor that our followers have to pay attention to — and we see it already by way of ticket gross sales: we’re a bucket listing vacation spot, with essentially the most wonderful opponents coming in with their fan bases. You’re going to see a number of Browns followers at Arrowhead for that first sport. You’re going to see a number of Cowboys followers. You’re going to see a number of Packers followers. You’re going to see a number of Steelers followers.

“It’s actuality — and that’s not essentially a foul factor. However I might say this: that we problem the ‘Kingdom’ to guarantee that they go away right here with their ears hurting — they usually perceive what the Arrowhead expertise is.”