NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The Saints and the Cleveland Browns were granted international marketing rights to Italy, the NFL announced Monday (March 30).
The franchises already have a game set for Oct. 25 in Paris, with the Saints being granted international marketing rights to France. With Monday’s announcement, the possibility of either or both teams playing again in Italy — which has never hosted an NFL regular-season game — grows significantly.
“We are excited to be awarded Italy as our second NFL Global Markets Program territory,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. “Italy’s passion for sport and its vibrant communities make this an extraordinary opportunity for our organization.
“We look forward to connecting the Saints brand with fans in Italy, strengthening ties between our regions, and creating meaningful avenues for investment that support businesses throughout our city and state.”
The league’s Global Markets Program was launched in 2022, and awards select NFL clubs international marketing rights in specified countries to build fan awareness and enthusiasm through engagement, events, commercial opportunities and NFL Flag football development.
The Saints won the marketing designation for France in 2023.
Italy also becomes the second international marketing rights territory for the Browns, who were awarded rights to market their franchise in Nigeria in 2024.
Cleveland has one of the largest Italian-American populations in the United State, along with an historic Little Italy neighborhood established in the city since 1800.
Announcing the expansion of the NFL’s Global Markets Program for 2026 🌎🌍🌏
The Global Markets Program (GMP) provides NFL clubs international marketing rights in countries outside of the U.S. to build brand awareness and fandom globally through fan engagement, events,… pic.twitter.com/9PUVsQGg8b
— NFL (@NFL) March 30, 2026
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.