NFL EMBRACES OVERSEAS FUTURE

Joshua Crawly, section editor

The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers opened the NFL season in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and turned a soccer loving country into one that’s embracing football. The NFL has launched itself overseas and taken opportunities to globalize the sport. But such opportunities have also led to some underlying concerns.

The first ever NFL game off U.S. soil happened in 2005 between the Cardinals and 49ers in Mexico City. It was a milestone moment, but still in North America. Fast forward to 2025 and the NFL has played in Britain, Brazil, Ireland and Germany. There’s a game scheduled to happen in Spain later in 2025, and a deal for a game in Australia in 2026. Commissioner Roger Goodell has expressed interest in establishing an international NFL franchise and even hosting a Superbowl internationally.

Star wide receiver AJ Brown alongside teammate Darius Slay, expressed lots of concern about the crime rate in Brazil. Chargers star Tony Jefferson said before the Kansas City game that he would stay in his hotel with his PlayStation the whole time. Contrary to that belief the crime rate in Philadelphia is six times of that in Brazil, but the NFL has taken a lot of precautions going into these games overseas. The NFL in London has been the most successful place outside of the U.S. There have been almost 40 games played in London as the NFL has hosted a game there every year since 2007.

“I never really watched football before I moved but it’s now one of my favorite sports to watch,” said Matt Muir, a senior football player.

As a London native, Muir grew up more around soccer, but he has taken on football quickly and plays offense and defense as the only senior on the team. The NFL recently announced an expansion of the Global Markets Program (GMP) two new markets in Greece and the United Arab Emirates. Teams that hold GMP rights can promote themselves through events, fan engagement, commercials and more outside of the U.S.. This is a way to build loyalty and brand recognition in countries where American football isn’t as widely recognized yet.

U.S. football still faces plenty of competition from sports like soccer and rugby primarily in Europe and soccer in South America. Soccer has been known for a long time as the global sport, but football is looking to break into the realm of worldwide sports and has been well received in the new countries. Last year’s game between the Jaguars and Broncos at England’s Wembley stadium drew an attendance of 86,215 people which was a record for attendance in London. In comparison, the average attendance in the U.S. is about 70,000 fans per game.

The NFL overseas has had lot of success so far and if it’s a sign of things to come, there’s a bright future for making the NFL a worldwide sport. The Steelers played the Vikings in Ireland at the end of Sept., and the Vikings played the Browns in early Sept. in London. The continued expansion and popularity should make football a worldwide sport in no time.