The NFL's international expansion: London, Germany, Brazil, and where it goes next

The NFL is aggressively expanding internationally. Multiple regular season games are now played outside the United States every season. Here is where things stand.

Current international games (Source: NFL International):

• London: 3+ games per year at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium. Established since 2007.
• Germany: Regular games in Munich and Frankfurt. Growing rapidly since 2022.
• Brazil: Sao Paulo hosted its first regular season game in 2024. Sold out immediately.
• Mexico City: Annual game at Estadio Azteca. Consistently the most-attended NFL game of the year (87,000+).

The growth numbers:

• NFL viewership in the UK has grown over 60% in the past decade. Source: NFL UK media reports.
• Germany is the fastest-growing NFL market in Europe. Over 20 million Germans watched at least one NFL game in the 2024 season.
• NFL Game Pass (international streaming) subscribers have grown significantly year over year.

Where it goes next:

• Spain: Madrid is reportedly in discussions for regular season games. The NFL has a growing fanbase in Spain, partly driven by F1-style Netflix content.
• Australia: Sydney has been discussed. The time zone is brutal for US broadcasting but the market potential is large.
• India: The ultimate long-term play. 1.4 billion people, growing middle class, appetite for American entertainment. The NFL has opened development offices in India.

The controversy:

• Home teams lose a home game. Fans who pay for season tickets lose one of 8-9 home games.
• Competitive disadvantage. Teams traveling internationally lose practice time and deal with jet lag.
• Quality of play. International games have historically featured more sloppy play (fatigue, unfamiliarity with turf).

Sources:

• NFL International — game schedule and market data
• NFL UK — viewership statistics
• ESPN — international expansion reporting
• Estadio Azteca — attendance records