NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has announced a huge change for the 2025 season amidst the game schedule’s hectic action.
With the NFL season well underway and teams having some idea of whether they will be competing past the regular season or not, it is safe to say the action is beginning to heat up in the United States’ premier American Football division.
The Chiefs snatched yet another victory this game week, making it nine consecutively for the reigning champions, who could very well be looking at an undefeated season if Mahomes and co are going to keep these performances consistent.
This game week saw one of the league’s international fixtures take place once again as the New York Giants took on the Carolina Panthers in the German capital of Munich. Ahead of the action, the NFL’s commissioner revealed some of the league’s plans regarding these fixtures.
NFL to widen their international fixture calendar.
The key reveal came from the Allianz Arena on the show NFL Game Day Kick-Off, where Goodell confirmed there are more international games planned for the league. He went on to state that they aim to play as many as eight fixtures in the 2025 calendar, with the Spanish capital of Madrid already confirmed as a host for the upcoming season. These plans were reportedly voted on and approved by team owners in December.
This season saw the NFL begin with international action, with the Green Bay Packers taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil, kicking off the first of five games to take place outside of the United States in the 2024 season.
What does this mean for the NFL?
This change would allow the league to continue to broaden its horizons as an international sport. At present, the United States is the only country to play American Football at the level it does, and that is something that does not appear to be changing any time soon.
The United Kingdom has been playing host to international games since 2007, and while England has been the main host of the action, that appears to be changing as they take the international schedule from five to eight. Since the addition of these fixtures, the NFL has yet to cross the sea and play in Ireland, with Goodell confirming that as one of the plans for a host for one of next year’s games. One fact to note is that Dublin’s Aviva Stadium has hosted American Football games at a college level but not the professional level.
Global growth has been the primary goal of the international expansion, and that appears to be going to plan, with ticket sales ahead of this season increasing by 35% for the games abroad. That growth has also seen fans from as many as 72 countries purchase tickets for the game. Meanwhile, broadcast viewership has also increased for the league, with the Chiefs Super Bowl victory last season drawing over 62 million viewers worldwide, a 10% increase on the previous season’s clash.