While the specific date and participating teams have yet to be disclosed, the announcement, made on Wednesday, highlights the NFL’s ongoing strategy to globalize American football. São Paulo, a bustling metropolis and the commercial heart of Brazil, edged out Madrid, Spain, for the 2024 game. However, NFL’s Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly indicated that Madrid remains a strong contender for hosting a game as early as 2025.
DALLAS – In a landmark decision, the National Football League (NFL) has announced its intention to stage a regular season game in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2024. This marks the first time the league will venture into South America for a regular season game, expanding its already global footprint.
O’Reilly expressed excitement about the NFL’s expansion into new territories. “The good news is both São Paulo and Madrid are really viable and interested in hosting games,” he remarked during his interview with NFL.com.
In a significant development, NFL owners have approved a resolution mandating each team to play an international game every four years. This policy could potentially lead to as many as eight international games starting in the 2025 season. The Jacksonville Jaguars continue their separate agreement to play at London’s Wembley Stadium, an arrangement not included in the overall count of international games.
The São Paulo game is likely to occupy one of the NFL’s prime-time slots or be featured in a 4:25 p.m. ET doubleheader. The time zone difference between São Paulo and the Eastern United States, varying between one and two hours, rules out the possibility of a 9:30 a.m. ET slot, unlike the games in Europe. The league is keen to explore morning game windows, following the success of Premier League soccer broadcasts in the U.S., to further appeal to Asian and Australian audiences.
Brazil’s inclusion in the NFL’s itinerary is not surprising, given the country’s burgeoning fan base. The NFL boasts 38 million fans in Brazil, bolstered by extensive local engagement through Super Bowl watch parties and free-to-air broadcasts of playoffs and Super Bowl games. São Paulo, in particular, offers an ideal venue with Corinthians Arena, a 49,000-capacity stadium, which has hosted significant events like the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics soccer matches.
The NFL’s international expansion does not stop at Brazil and potentially Madrid. Plans are underway to resume games in Mexico City once stadium renovations are completed and to explore new venues in countries like France. This global push aligns with the NFL’s strategic vision for growth, overcoming initial hesitations among team owners about losing home games. The successful reception of games in Tottenham and Germany, coupled with the marketing rights assigned to international markets, underscores the league’s commitment to a broader, more diverse audience.
The NFL’s move to a 17-game regular season has facilitated this global expansion, proving to be a catalyst for the league’s ambitious international agenda. As the NFL ventures into South America for the first time with its regular season, it marks a new chapter in the league’s international narrative, promising to bring the excitement of American football to new corners of the globe.
