Eyes on Ireland as US college football game at Aviva Stadium attracted 4.7m viewers

Kansas State Wildcats marching band perform the US national anthem before the 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium. Picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic held at Aviva Stadium in Dublin last weekend attracted a peak 4.7m viewers in the US, while more than 20,000 American visitors injected €130m into the economy. 

As visitor figures from the CSO for July showed the continued resurgence of the key US tourist market, this month's figures are likely to be significantly buoyed by the American football event which took place in the Lansdowne Road Stadium on Saturday. Some 25,999 international visitors travelled for the game, including 22,910 from the US. The average stay for these visitors in Ireland was estimated at seven nights, and the entire event is estimated to be worth €130m in spending, according to Grant Thornton.

The game saw Iowa State University Cyclones beat Kansas State University Wildcats 24-21 in a game which was broadcast live on ESPN in the US. Viewing figures peaked at 4.7m with an average of 4.01m viewers, making the Irish showcase the second-most watched sports US telecast of the weekend behind golf's Tour Championship final round in Atlanta, which was broadcast on NBC. Viewership was highest from the states of Kansas and Iowa, representing the two competing teams.

The game was organised by Irish American Events Ltd, a joint venture between Irish partner Corporate., and US partner On Location, with Aer Lingus, Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, and Dublin City Council, all key stakeholders.

“This year’s sold-out stadium and strong viewership figures highlights the growing global appeal and further cements Dublin as the European home of college football," said Padraic O’Kane, co-founder of the event. Next year's event between the Texas Christian University (TCU) and University of North Carolina (UNC) is already pencilled in for August 29, 2026. 

The appetite for American football is growing in Ireland, with the country hosting its first NFL game next month, as the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Minnesota Vikings in Croke Park on Sunday, September 28. Initial tickets for the event sold out, amid an online queue of 600,000 interested buyers, with cheapest adult tickets costing €85 and rising to €495. 

This week, the NFL have announced a limited ticket ballot for a further allocation of tickets which will be in temporary seats on Hill 16. The entry deadline for the ballot is Sunday August 31.