Over the course of the 2010s and ‘20s, the NFL has attempted to establish a loyal following in places other than America, specifically Europe.
Has that strategy paid off?
On Oct. 2, 2005, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 31-14. The result itself wasn’t what was memorable: what was memorable was the setting.
The game took place in Mexico City and was the NFL’s first regular-season game played outside of the United States.
On that day, the seeds for international play were planted by then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Roger Goodell would follow Tagliabue as commissioner a year later and he continued the push to expand the sport globally.
Goodell ‘s legacy will likely be his tireless efforts to expand interest in the game beyond America’s borders.
During the 2007 season, Goodell established the NFL International Series. Originally a game reserved for London, games have spread to Munich, Germany, and most recently Sao Palo, Brazil, for the 2024 Eagles vs. Packers match-up. There has been a total of 44 games played outside of the United States since 2005.
So has the NFL been successful with this business strategy?
While international viewership has grown – the NFL has seen a 10 percent increase in Super Bowl viewers in international households – there is still a long way to go before the sport becomes a global phenomenon.
While international NFL viewership has increased, it still trails the second-most popular sport in the United States – the NBA.
The NBA has strong followings in Germany, Britain and China, with a staggering 60 percent of surveyed adults in China viewing NBA games, compared to 8 percent for the NFL in this country, according to Statista Consumer Insights.
The reason that the NFL doesn’t thrive internationally is primarily because football is a more difficult game to practice and play. Not many countries offer youth football leagues outside of the United States. Football is an expensive and dangerous sport.
It doesn’t take much for a child to pick up a basketball and invite a couple of friends over for a quick game. What is much harder to do is gather a larger group of people to play 11-on-11 football with pads and helmets.
While the NFL continues its uphill battle to establish an international presence to rival other sports, it’s clear that the league has a long way to go.
