The NFL wants to go global. For the longest time, football was limited to the American audience. The league set out to change that, and in 2005, the first game outside the US was played in Mexico City. Since then, the league has slowly grown the number of games played overseas and just announced that São Paulo will host a game in 2024. Lost in this is the fact that the owners also voted to increase the number of international games in 2025.
Touchdown, Brasil. ???
São Paulo Game 2024 ? pic.twitter.com/KOQn4klpQL
— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) December 13, 2023
NFL To Get More International Games In 2025
This year saw cities in Germany get a game for the first time. The NFL wants to get more cities involved. Owners voted to approve an increase from four to eight games played per season internationally. 2024 will see five games overseas, with London and Germany staying on the schedule. It is unclear whether the league will look to pioneer the game to new cities or simply add more to existing ones. One important note from the meetings is that no team will be required to play more than one regular season game outside of US soil unless they choose to do so. Roger Goodell had this to say about the decision.
“Becoming a global sport is a major strategic priority for the league and 32 teams. Increasing international game inventory allows us to grow our global presence and share our game with exciting new markets to connect with more fans around the world.”
Growing Globally
Football has gotten more international attention in recent years. More players from different countries are beginning to pick up the sport thanks to initiatives by the league. Flag football was also just added to the Olympic slate for the 2028 Summer Games. Media accessibility has made it easier than ever to watch events from other countries. The biggest question that many people have is whether the NFL is thinking of expanding internationally, and that is where all of this becomes complicated.
International Expansion?
Expanding internationally is tricky, especially in Europe, where the NFL seems to focus much of its efforts. The time change and travel time mean having a home team based in Europe is a logistical nightmare. Traveling to the West Coast is often exhausting for players let alone an entire ocean. The team or teams based in Europe would be at a massive disadvantage due to travel. Even expanding to a place like Brazil, which doesn’t have as much of a time zone issue, is tricky due to the travel time.
The NFL clearly wants to expand in some way. I think Goodell wants some international teams, as he has spoken about it before, but logistically, there is a lot to figure out. The first step seems to be continuing to grow the fan base overseas. 2025 will see more international games and possibly more cities as well.