Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on Monday, September 29, announced long-term tourism partnerships with the Los Angeles Clippers and side Los Angeles Rams, making Rwanda the first African country to secure sponsorship deals in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL) respectively. The deal expands Visit Rwanda’s presence in U.S. sports and adds to its global portfolio, which already includes partnerships with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Atlético de Madrid, and an academy deal with FC Bayern Munich. ALSO READ: Visit Rwanda expands into NBA, NFL with team partnerships Aside basketball and football, Visit Rwanda is expanding its reach to the NFL, one of the sports which draw the largest crowds in the United States. Founded in 1920, NFL is the top professional league for American football and the most popular sport in the United States. It is made up of 32 teams, split into two conferences that include 16 teams of the American Football Conference (AFC) and 16 teams of the National Football Conference (NFC). Teams compete in regular season games that lead to the playoffs, with the season culminating in the Super Bowl, the league’s grand finale that happens every year. The Super Bowl is more than just a game, it is the most-watched sporting event in America and one of the biggest global broadcasts, attracting over 100 million viewers each year. The spectacle combines high-level competition with music and entertainment, with halftime show performances featuring global superstars like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Shakira, among others with Latin superstar Bad Bunny headlining the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. The Green Bay Packers have won the most NFL championship titles with 13 (nine pre-Super Bowl era and four Super Bowls, including the first two AFL-NFL World Championship Games. ALSO READ: Visit Rwanda inks sponsorship deal with Atletico de Madrid As part of the partnership, Visit Rwanda will become an official international tourism sponsor of the Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, the largest urban mixed-use development under construction in the Western United States. SoFi Stadium, Hollywood Park and Intuit Dome are all located in Inglewood, California separated by Century Boulevard. American football is played with an oval-shaped ball, and the goal is to advance it into the opponent’s end zone through a mix of running and passing plays. It is a highly physical sport, blending speed, power, and tactics, with specialised roles for offensive and defensive players. Beyond the field, the NFL is a multi-billion-dollar industry, influencing fashion, entertainment, and even social campaigns across the United States. It is considered the crown jewel of American sports, much like the English Premier League is for the world of football.
