New York—Last week, Breitling and the NFL shut down a side street outside the Breitling store in New York’s Meatpacking District to mark the start of the 2025 NFL season, which kicks off tonight in Philadelphia.
Like any good party, there was plenty of not-good-for-you food—sliders and fries, pizza, piles of meat from Katz’s Delicatessen, and chocolate chip-and-walnut cookies from Levain Bakery—plus some entertainment.
Breitling teased a “surprise performance” ahead of the event, and it delivered—the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, a Dallas institution made nationally famous by the hit Netflix show, “America’s Sweethearts,” treated the crowd to a truncated version of “Thunderstruck,” sans the jump splits.
The New York-style tailgate party, attended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, and Breitling ambassador Austin Butler, also marked the start of a deeper partnership between Breitling and the NFL.
After inking a licensing deal with the league in 2024, Breitling announced on Aug. 27 that it is now the official timepiece partner of the NFL.
It is the first luxury watch brand to be an official NFL partner, joining a roster of well-known brands that are highly visible in the American football universe, names like Bud Light, Bose, Nike, Visa, and Gatorade.
The partnership gives Breitling exposure during the broadcast of NFL games and the chance to be seen at the league’s big events, including Super Bowl LX and NFL Honors, the end-of-season awards ceremony that takes place the week of the Super Bowl. Breitling will present the award winners with custom timepieces during the ceremony.
Breitling noted that the partnership also will include events at its stores overseas organized in connection with the NFL’s growing slate of international games.
This year, football games are set to take place in São Paulo, Dublin, London, Berlin, and Madrid.