The National Football League announced today that the Los Angeles Rams have been granted access to three International Home Marketing Areas (IHMA) in Australia, China and Mexico.
"When Stan Kroenke brought the Rams home to Los Angeles and envisioned SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, it was with an eye to build a global brand along with an iconic sports and entertainment destination," said Los Angeles Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff. "Here in the United States, Los Angeles is the gateway to so many incredible countries across the world including Australia and China, as well as our neighbor, Mexico. We are fortunate to have developed a strong presence in each of those countries over the years, through digital engagement, authentic connections with local celebrities and influencers, and even in-market activations. We are thrilled to deepen our connection with our fans abroad and expand our presence in these countries over the next five years and beyond."
This ground-breaking, new initiative grants clubs access to international territories for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization as part of an important, long-term, strategic effort to enable clubs to build their global brands while driving NFL fan growth internationally.
"NFL fandom begins with our clubs," said Christopher Halpin, NFL Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer. "This important initiative enables NFL teams to develop meaningful, direct relationships with NFL fans abroad, driving fan growth and avidity globally. We were very pleased with the number, creativity and level of commitment of club proposals across the board in this initial application period and look forward to teams launching their efforts early next year."
As part of the International HMA program, clubs will have access to international markets for at least a five-year term, during which a club will have rights to pursue activities in that international market that are consistent with what they can do in their domestic HMA. This includes in-person and digital marketing, corporate sponsorship sales, fan events and activations, youth football activities, merchandise sales and co-marketing relationships with other sports and entertainment properties in the market.
Starting January 1, the Rams will build on current efforts and take a digital-first approach in all three markets, leveraging digital programming and platforms to engage fans abroad more deeply with the team.
Following Australia-native and Rams super fan Rebel Wilson's post earlier this year about bringing the NFL to Australia, the Rams are excited to deliver on Rebel's vision. In Australia, Rams fans should follow Los Angeles Rams on Facebook to keep up with the latest information and Australia-specific content.
In China, the Rams launched a Weibo account in 2017 and on Douyin in 2021 and will continue to deliver content on both platforms for their Chinese fans. The Rams have been one of the fastest growing NFL teams on these social platforms and have worked closely with Rams Safety Taylor Rapp, who is Chinese American, on unique content and opportunities to engage fans in China.
The Rams have a long history with Mexico, accentuated in 2018 when they prepared to host a game in Mexico City and engaged with the local community, civic partners, and fans there. The various connections between Mexico and Los Angeles across culture, geographic proximity, and tourism are infused through Rams gamedays, content and fan engagement efforts such as: the Vamos Rams platform; Spanish language content including game broadcasts on ESPN Deportes; and the NFL's only Mariachi band (Mariachi Rams). In addition to the existing Vamos Rams channels on Twitter (@VamosRams) and therams.com, the Rams will launch VamosRamsNFL on Facebook for fans in Mexico.
Stay tuned to the Los Angeles Rams on Facebook for more details around how the Rams will be activating in each country in the coming weeks.
