German audiences have gotten to witness in-person 3 different generations of American athletes perform at the highest level and make history:
- Jesse Owens winning 4 Gold Medals in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, contradicting Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany’s racist ideology.
- Mark Spitz winning 7 Gold Medals in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, setting an Olympic record that stood for 36 years until Michael Phelps won 8 Gold Medals in 2008.
- Jonathan Taylor recording more Yards From Scrimmage and Total Touchdowns than any NFL player in an International Series NFL Game.
The legends of Owens and Spitz have had decades to cultivate into worldwide impact from the stage in Germany. Now Jonathan Taylor’s dominant performance this past Saturday has a chance to broaden the scope of the NFL fanbase to new heights and markets. With a German record of 72,203 fans in attendance, in the same stadium as Jesse Owens’ iconic Olympics, Taylor delivered a game for the ages.
There have been a total of 55 International Series NFL Games, but none had a skill player get as many Yards or Touchdowns as Jonathan Taylor just did. His final run being a walk-off Touchdown in Overtime was cherry on top of his incredible game.
In the age of the internet, clicks are king. Google searches of Jonathan Taylor, jumped by 20 times from Saturday to Sunday, and over doubled the previous high for Jonathan Taylor search results this season (during Week 8 vs the Titans on October 27th).
This trend isn’t just the rabid NFL fanbase of the United States driving web traffic… its world wide.
- Canada: Jonathan Taylor searches over doubled from prior high October 27th to November 9th
- Mexico: Jonathan Taylor searches rose by 46% from prior high October 19th to November 9th
- United Kingdom: Jonathan Taylor searches rose by 78% from prior high October 4th to November 9th
- Germany: Jonathan Taylor searches over tripled from prior high September 7th to November 9th
- Spain: Jonathan Taylor searches over doubled from prior high October 27th to November 9th
While viewership numbers are still pending, it’s clear that Jonathan Taylor has become much more of a household name abroad after his dominant International game. With the Colts having former 1st Round pick Bjoern Werner as the voice of the NFL in Germany as well, expect the Colts to experience a rise in popularity in the 2nd biggest European country.
As the NFL continues to expand its reach with International Series Games in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Australia, Mexico, Brazil (as well as discussions for games in Canada and China), the importance of putting together entertaining and compelling performances on the International stage becomes paramount for the NFL’s growth.
With long-rumored interest in moving a team to the UK and Flag Football added to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, the rise of the NFL’s popularity internationally is likely to continue to build. And with it, so should the stardom of the Colts Running Back.
