Wearing red jerseys and shirts, Kansas City Chiefs fans are doing the tomahawk chop. This isn’t happening at an NFL stadium or even in the U.S.
Last weekend, almost 200 Mexican Chiefs fans gathered on the floating gardens of Xochimilco, south of Mexico City, to celebrate the new season.
They threw a party on traditional Trajinera boats decorated in red and white, marking the start of the season. The Chiefs will begin their season by hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
In December 2021, the NFL gave Kansas City the marketing rights for Mexico. Since then, the Chiefs have been working hard to grow their fan base in a country where the league has been gaining popularity.
This effort is part of the NFL’s international home marketing areas initiative, which lets teams market and engage with fans in international territories.
In Mexico, besides the Chiefs, eight other teams are also part of this initiative.
“We wanted to do more than just get likes on social media and hold watch parties. We aimed to add a bit of a Mexican touch,” said Omar Ramirez Luckie, the content manager for Samba, the agency that manages the Chiefs’ social media for the Mexican market.
Last year, Chiefs fans held a tailgate party at a drive-in movie theater in Mexico City. They also celebrated the Day of the Dead on Nov. 2 with other NFL teams that have marketing rights in Mexico.
“I think if you just want to watch a game, you can do it at home. If you go to a watch party for a gift, you can get it and leave. But it’s very different to have an experience like this—coming to a Trajinera, dancing, eating, and drinking with other fans like you,” Ramirez said.
