ORLANDO, Fla. — The NFL, already with a record-setting 9 worldwide video games on the schedule for the 2026 season, is about to additional develop its presence across the globe in 2027.
NFL house owners on Tuesday accepted a measure to extend the variety of league-run regular-season worldwide video games to 10 every year, beginning within the 2027 season. Any improve past 10 worldwide video games would require additional negotiations between the NFL and the NFLPA. (Technically, there might be 11 worldwide video games in 2027, with the Jacksonville Jaguars enjoying in London. However the Jaguars negotiate and function their London video games as the house workforce.)
In 2026, the NFL will play in Australia, Brazil, the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Mexico. However the NFL already has different nations — and continents — on its thoughts, resulting in Tuesday’s vote in favor of worldwide growth on the spring league assembly.
“We’ve recognized markets past these that we predict might be nice,” NFL government vp Peter O’Reilly mentioned Monday on the “Up & Adams” show. “Australia is clearly a sports-crazed market. You consider the components of the world we haven’t performed a recreation and don’t have a year-round presence. That features markets in Asia, a market like Japan, which once more, very totally different however is a novel tradition. Italy, the place two of our golf equipment — the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns — now have rights through the World Markets Program.
“So, nothing imminent. We now have so much forward of us proper now, however we have now to do the groundwork in these potential subsequent markets. … Undecided we’re headed to play a recreation in Africa within the close to time period, however there’s a lot that we’re doing in Africa … we’re doing a lot there. Nigeria certified for the world championships, males’s and ladies’s, in flag (soccer). There are components of the world which can be actually energetic with our recreation. It’s simply, what’s the proper time to take a subsequent step?”
O’Reilly mentioned that the video games themselves are “massive and glitzy,” however the worldwide growth goes past the common season video games performed within the fall.
“It’s concerning the year-round,” O’Reilly said. “It’s about all the days in between the place you’re constructing the sport.”
O’Reilly highlighted the Miami Dolphins’ number of Seydou Traore within the fifth spherical of the 2026 NFL Draft as a “full-circle second” as a result of Traore is a graduate of the NFL’s UK academy.
“That mannequin goes to occur an increasing number of,” O’Reilly mentioned. “Somebody who grew up enjoying flag in considered one of our applications around the globe, into considered one of our academies, after which enjoying on an NFL area. That’s what’s upon us.”
The NFL’s 2026 worldwide schedule isn’t solely record-setting in amount of video games but additionally excessive in high quality of matchups. That’s one thing the NFL has felt is necessary because the slate continues to develop.
“That exhibits the significance to us (and) to our media companions round, ensuring in these massive home windows and around the globe, we’re showcasing unimaginable video games,” O’Reilly said.