IFAF, IOC and NFL formalize promotional agreement ahead of LA28

IFAF President Pierre Trochet, IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey and NFL Executive Vice President, Club Business, Major Events & International, Peter O'Reilly sign promotional agreement in Düsseldorf, Germany, ahead of LA28. Johannes Missenharter/AP

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) today welcomed senior delegations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and National Football League (NFL) to Düsseldorf, Germany, where a key promotional agreement was signed between the three parties on the sidelines of the IFAF Flag Football World Championships 2026 – a milestone moment on the road to the sport’s debut at the Olympic Games LA28.

The three-way collaboration on global promotion represents the first such agreement between the IOC, IFAF and the NFL focused on the global promotion of the LA28 Olympic Games and flag football.

The collaboration builds on an existing agreement between IFAF, the NFL and the LA28 Organizing Committee, seeking to maximize the global reach and impact of flag football’s Olympic Games debut at LA28. Under this new agreement, the three parties will work together to maximize the promotion of the LA28 Olympic Games and flag football’s debut at the Games drawing on the global reach and relevance of two of the world’s most commercially and culturally powerful sports properties.

All signatories commit to leverage their platforms to help connect audiences with flag football and the Olympic Games. NFL tentpole events, such as International Games and Super Bowl, are included in the agreement, alongside major IFAF competitions and IOC platforms.

A new visual identity – the “logo slick” – combining the LA28, IFAF and NFL brands, will provide a consistent look and feel across all joint promotional activities.

Pierre Trochet, President of IFAF said: “IFAF is proud to convene this collaboration with two of the world’s pre-eminent sports brands in support of our efforts to drive engagement with flag football around the world. The time is now for flag football! We’re convinced that our athletes can deliver some of the defining images, personalities and storylines of LA28.”

Pierre Ducrey, IOC Sports Director, said: "Building on the strong relationship already established between LA28 and the NFL, this collaboration will harness the collective reach of the NFL, IFAF and the IOC to tell compelling stories, engage fans globally and build excitement over the next two years, for the Games and flag football at LA28.”

Peter O’Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President, Club Business, Major Events & International, said: “The Olympic debut of flag football at LA28 represents an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate the sport’s growth and introduce it to even more athletes and fans around the world. The NFL is proud to work alongside IFAF and the IOC to help build momentum toward 2028, leveraging the reach of our league, clubs and major events to showcase the game, its athletes and our partnership on a global stage. We are especially excited by the growth we’re seeing among young people and women and girls and believe this collaboration can help create lasting impact for the sport and the Olympic movement well beyond LA28.”

Flag football is the cornerstone of a long-standing partnership between IFAF and the NFL to accelerate the sport’s growth around the world. Currently played by more than 20 million people in more than 100 countries, flag football is experiencing triple-digit year-on-year participation increases across many IFAF member federations.

This growth, which is driven primarily by women and girls, mirrors the rise of fandom around the world.