League owners want more international markets.
It is November which means the National Football League is wrapping up its Europe tour and will make its first appearance in Mexico City since 2022. The November schedule has a game in Madrid, Spain on November 8th with Cincinnati playing Atlanta. Then there is a November 15th game in Munich, Germany which features New England and Detroit. The Mexico City game is a Sunday night affair between Minnesota and San Francisco on November 22nd. The NFL scheduled nine international games in 2026, the league wants 10 in 2027 and that might include a game in Tokyo, Japan.. The league has put on 13 preseason games in Japan, 12 of them in Tokyo, starting in 1976 but has not returned to Tokyo since 2005.
“Listen, Tokyo is clearly on our list, whether it’s next year or the year after,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “It’s coming at some point in the near future.” The NFL has made London, England its base market for the international contests. The NFL has been playing games in Mexico for years and has built a following in the country. But the league has been looking and played in other markets including Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt, Germany. Germany will have games through 2029. The NFL played games earlier this year in Melbourne, Australia. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Paris, France. The NFL has also had a game in Dublin, Ireland. “We’re planning on playing global. That’s where we’re going,” Goodell added. The NFL is far behind Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association on the global stage. Those leagues play games in countries that produce players. The NBA wants to establish a league in Europe. The NFL is a novelty in many countries, but there is the chance to make money from t-shirts, hats and video in those countries.
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