The National Football League (NFL) set forth an expansion of its Global Markets Program, with the Los Angeles Chargers officially joining the league initiative as an international marketing rights holder for Greece.
The news were announced on the team’s official website and social media this week.
“Opa! We’ve been awarded international marketing rights to Greece,” the team captioned a white and blue image on Twitter, featuring three of its players in uniform besides the Greek flag, the Parthenon and a statue of the ancient Greek goddess Athena.
opa!
we’ve been awarded international marketing rights to Greece » https://t.co/T1Ub4WGHio pic.twitter.com/zzr026PhGR
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) March 31, 2025
First launched in 2022, the NFL’s Global Markets Program awards clubs international marketing rights to build brand awareness and fandom beyond the U.S., through fan engagement, events, commercial opportunities and NFL Flag development.
In total, 29 clubs will participate in the program across 21 international markets as the NFL continues to prioritize global growth, the announcement reads.
Controlling Owner & Chairman of the Los Angeles Chargers Board Dean Spanos celebrated the news with a special mention to his Greek ancestry.
“The homeland of my family, Greece, has left an eternal imprint on my heart. So when the opportunity to grow NFL Football and the Los Angeles Chargers’ brand in Greece presented itself, we simply couldn’t pass it up,” Spanos said.
“With Ancient Greece home to the first recorded Olympic Games in 776 BC and host of the inaugural Summer Olympics in 1896, it seems only natural to bring what I consider to be the best game in the world to, quite literally, the birthplace of sport. We couldn’t be more excited to connect with Greeks from all walks of life, make an impact on their communities and share our passion for the game we love,” he added.
With a focus on grass roots initiatives including youth camps and clinics, the creation of NFL Flag leagues, community enhancement projects and gameday activations, the Los Angeles Chargers will officially kick off their efforts in Greece with a 2025 NFL Draft Day 3 Pick announcement live from Athens, the team revealed.
“The expansion of the Global Markets Program in 2025 reflects the NFL’s continued focus to grow the game and connect with fans on a global scale,” commented NFL Executive Vice President, Club Business, Major Events & International Peter O’Reilly. “With more clubs entering the program and existing clubs adding to their global rights, and as the program expands to new markets, we are seeing strong momentum and impact in growing fandom worldwide together.”
Founded in 1959, the Los Angeles Chargers were initially a charter member of the AFL and joined the NFL as a result of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.
Greek-American billionaire real estate developer Alexander Gus Spanos, born to Greek immigrants Constantino and Evanthia Spanos, became the team’s majority holder in 1984.
His son, Dean, took over daily operations from his father in 1994, becoming president and CEO, until he passed operations to his own sons in 2015. He took over full ownership after his father’s death in 2018.
In October 2024, Dean Spanos was honoured by The Hellenic Post and the International Foundation for Greece during a ceremony at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. The commemorative postage stamp he was presented with, featuring his portrait, forms part of the “Dinstinguished Greek Personalities – IFG” series and is currently in circulation throughout the country.
According to Forbes, the Los Angeles Chargers were worth 5.1 billion dollars in August 2024, which brings them at number 20 on the list of the most valuable NFL teams.
