A series of student- and union-organized protests focused on poor school conditions and the rising cost of living in France led to a lot of fearmongering online, but that didn't deter New Orleans Saints fans and Pittsburgh Steelers faithful from packing the Stade de France for the NFL's first game in Paris. The NFL announced a record attendance of 78,488 ticketed fans at Sunday's matchup. That's just shy of the arena's maximum capacity (81,388).
And it's the third-largest crowd to ever attend an international NFL game outside of Wembley Stadium in the United Kingdom (which regularly exceeds 80,000). We saw a crowd 100,021-strong pack the stands for a season-opening matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
Neighboring Spain saw 78,610 fans in attendance last season. This turnout in France surpasses the heaviest crowds we've seen in Germany (72,207), Ireland (74,512), Brazil (72,792), and other international venues. It's just a shame the Saints couldn't get a win.
That's not to say there weren't disruptions. The NFL postponed or canceled several fan events over the weekend because of their proximity to approved demonstration routes, but experiences from fans on the ground in Paris have been overwhelmingly positive. Don't be shocked if the Saints make another trip to Paris when the NFL looks to return.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL announces 78,488 fans in attendance for Saints-Steelers in Paris
