NFL Plans Global Expansion With First-Ever Game in Australia

NFL boss Roger Goodell eyes overseas teams and more international games as American football pushes to grow its global business.

The National Football League (NFL) — America's most popular sports league — is making history this week with its first-ever regular-season game in Australia, held in Melbourne between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams.

But Commissioner (the league's top boss) Roger Goodell is already looking far beyond a single game. He says smart planning means looking 5, 10, or even 15 years into the future, calling anything less "irresponsible."

Why this matters: The NFL earns huge money at home but is still tiny overseas. To keep growing, it needs new fans and new markets abroad. Here are the key facts:

Goodell, 67, just signed a four-year contract extension keeping him in charge until March 2031 — his 20th season leading the league.
Last year's international opener drew 18.5 million U.S. viewers but only 1.2 million abroad, showing how much room there is to grow.
The NFL plans 9 games outside the U.S. in 2026 and 10 in 2027, with a goal of eventually reaching 16.
A rule called the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) — the contract between the league and its players — currently caps international games at 10. It expires in March 2031.

Building fans, not just playing games: Goodell wants lasting fan bases, not one-off events. Through its Global Markets Program, each team owns marketing rights to at least one foreign market, letting them build local support with events, sponsors, and media partners.

Goodell even imagines NFL teams permanently based in Europe one day — possibly a whole European division. He gave no timeline, saying it's part of a "broader plan to develop the business."

The media angle: Growth also depends on getting games seen worldwide. Streaming giant Netflix holds the global broadcast rights to the Australia game, part of the league's push to put more games on free TV and streaming platforms internationally.

Bottom line: The NFL is betting that patient, long-term global expansion — more overseas games, local marketing, and worldwide streaming — will turn American football into a truly international sport.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/10/nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-international-future.html