€10m Government investment in NFL game at Croke Park 'has been vindicated', says minister

The Pittsburgh Steelers v Minnesota Vikings game attracted an attendance of 74,512 fans with 37% of those travelling from the United States and 30% coming from other international markets. File picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

A €10 million Government investment in the hosting of an NFL game in Dublin has been "vindicated" after a report put the value of the event to the local economy at €104.5 million.

Sports minister Patrick O'Donovan had defended the government spending on the match last year despite criticism from politicians, other sports and the Department of Public Expenditure. On Monday, he said a BDO report into the game was proof that it was worth the investment.

According to the research, €76.8m was spent on accommodation, food and beverage, retail and transport expenditure, along with event operational costs and associated activities.

The total figure also includes "indirect and induced impact of €27.7m arising from the wider multiplier effect across the economy". The analysis added that every €1 of public funding generated €2.24 in tax receipts for the Exchequer.

Mr O'Donovan was criticised by the Department of Public Expenditure for bringing memos related to the game to Cabinet "under the arm", which it claimed made it difficult "to thoroughly and properly consider issues and their implications, particularly regarding substantial expenditure implications and serious governance issues".

"The members of the cabinet made the decision here, and that decision has been vindicated," Mr O'Donovan said on Monday. "There were a lot of people, quite frankly, who were opposed to this, and they have now been silenced." 

He added that the GAA's hosting of the game had allowed it to go ahead.

"A lot of people can jump too quickly to criticise the investment. But in the fullness of time the economic impact assessments of them have been shown time and time again to produce multiples of the investments."

The game, which featured the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings, attracted an attendance of 74,512 fans with 37% of those travelling from the United States and 30% coming from other international markets.

The game also captured global attention and drew a US TV audience of 9.2 million viewers.

Future games

While the game was a success, Dublin was never intended to host a game in the league's 2026 calendar. However, speaking at the launch of the report on Monday, general manager of the NFL UK and Ireland Henry Hodgson said discussions with the Irish government were to begin this week on future editions of the game. 

He said the NFL had carried out an assessment of the Dublin event and there were no areas on which Dublin could improve. He said the NFL would not require investment of more than €10 million for future editions of the event.

Mr O'Donovan said discussions would now be held about hosting future NFL games in 2027/28 and that “we want to place Dublin now very firmly and very squarely at the centre of NFL scheduling for future matches”.

The Government and the NFL also confirmed a joint funding approach to support the expansion of flag football across Ireland as part of the announcement on Monday.

Funding of up to €200,000 a year over the next three years will be made available through Sport Ireland to help support the capacity for growth of American Football Ireland, the department said.