South Charlotte Today

When the Carolina Panthers arrive in Munich, Germany this week to begin Week 10 of the NFL season, it will mark the culmination of years spent building a fan base in Deutschland. Former Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme played a significant role in establishing this grassroots following. Before his time with the Panthers and leading them to a Super Bowl appearance, Delhomme was the quarterback for Frankfurt Galaxy, where he led the team to a championship victory.

"Believe it or not, the Panthers had a lot of name recognition there because of Jake and because of the championship," said Dan O'Neill, Vice President of Partnerships and Premium with Tepper Sports & Entertainment.

The Panthers have organized various events such as Keep Pounding Tours and football clinics featuring legends like Luke Kuechly, Steve Smith, and Mike Rucker. They have also hosted draft parties and live draft picks from Germany. This initiative followed after the NFL granted marketing rights to the Carolina Panthers in Germany under its Global Markets Program (GMP).

In collaboration with partners like Daimler Truck, OnLocation, Pizza Hut Germany, Mars Wrigley Germany, and Dr Pepper Germany, the Panthers are offering numerous events in Munich to unite German and U.S. fans.

"The fandom there is absolutely incredible, and I've seen it firsthand," O'Neill noted this week. The Panthers aim to capitalize on this enthusiasm.

"This is our moment. We get the whole week; all eyes in Germany will be on it whether they're football fans or not. It is the talk of the country to be quite honest. You have to maximize that, and this is our time to gain that fandom."

For those in Munich over the weekend, several events are planned including transforming a local pub into a Carolina Panthers Team Pub at Augustiner Stammhaus located at Neuhauser Str. 27 from November 8-9.

A fan festival called Panthers Fan Fest will take place on November 8-9 starting at noon on Friday at Wittelsbacherplatz and at 10 am on Saturday. The event includes interviews with legends, live podcasting sessions, entertainment appearances on stage along with fan activities such as free rickshaw rides from Dr Pepper Germany.

Additionally planned are community relations events like a flag football clinic for local youth and teachers plus food distribution for families.

For more information about locations or times regarding these fan events click here.