In just the past few weeks, Ford has extended both its naming rights partnership for Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, as well as its exclusive sponsorship of the German professional football club, FC Köln (or FC Cologne in English). The Blue Oval has supported both of those organizations for decades to this point, so those moves made quite a lot of sense, given their success – especially when we consider the fact that the Ford family owns the Detroit Lions as well. Now, the Lions and FC Cologne have announced a partnership of their own.
The Detroit Lions and FC Cologne have announced a multi-year strategic partnership that aims to expand the global reach of both organizations, deepen fan engagement in the United States and Germany, and collaborate across sports, community, and commercial platforms. That agreement includes initiatives such as creating fan events and activations in both countries, co-branded digital and social media content, commercial opportunities, and cross-team access, to name just a few.
“We are thrilled to launch our first international strategic partnership with 1. FC Köln to connect two incredible fanbases,” said Ashton Mullinix, Senior Vice President of Consumer Revenue & Analytics for the Detroit Lions. “This collaboration brings together two teams with proud histories, resilient fanbases, and unmatched loyalty from their communities. Both clubs helped shape their leagues in their respective countries in countless ways, have deep cultural roots, and a strong sense of pride. We are excited to grow the game of American football globally and create meaningful experiences for our fans both in the United States and Germany.”
“Cologne and Detroit are not only linked by sport, but also by their history as an important location for the automotive industry. In this case, both cities have historical links to the car manufacturer, Ford,” said Philipp Liesenfeld, Managing Director at 1. FC Köln. “New collaborations are an elementary building block for gaining new impetus, adopting new perspectives and tapping into new target groups. With the Detroit Lions, we have found an ideal partner to mutually expand our global reach and deepen fan engagement.”
It's joined by a few other Blue Oval models.
Adding two more affordable options, and a new mid-grade offering.
A truly nice, garage-kept example.
It's perhaps the nicest stock example we've come across.
Telling you which states it can't be sold in.
