The NFL International Series went from seven games in 2025 to nine games in 2026. That’s because the demand for NFL Football is growing across the globe, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The league is already talking about adding even more games to the International Series. This comes after commissioner Roger Goodell stated, “At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA,” and continued by saying, “I have no doubt this will happen someday.”
Whether this happens in the near future or not, no one knows, but what we do know is international growth is through the roof. If you look at South America and Australia alone, the two audiences have some of the most searched and discussed NFL teams internationally. The crowd outside of the United States is hungry for American football, and the league is giving it to them.
The International Series Helps Global Reach In South America and Australia
The Miami Dolphins Are Very Popular In South America
The Miami Dolphins‘ reach in South America is astonishing. They’re the most searched team by far across almost every country on the continent, and the engagement is on another level.
The city of Miami has a strong connection with the Latin American community. One of Miami’s nicknames is “The Gateway to the Americas” because of the cultural influence, among other strong connections within Latin America.
The NFL’s Global Markets Program has also helped tremendously. The program gives marketing rights to teams in different international markets. In the Dolphins’ case, they have marketing rights in several countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, which are the three most populous in South America. The Dolphins have already had a head start on their global reach, and with the league’s plans of getting more involved in different markets outside of the U.S., it could lead to even more reach for the franchise.
Australia Loves the Philadelphia Eagles
One of the most popular NFL franchises across the globe is the Philadelphia Eagles. Their outreach is even greater than the Dolphins, expanding in several countries across Oceania, and that includes Australia.
Marketing rights have helped the Eagles secure Australia, but the biggest reason is offensive tackle Jordan Mailata. He’s Australian-born, playing rugby before being scouted to play American football, something he had no experience in before, making him a fan favorite and one of the best success stories in NFL history. When Mailata’s time is up with the Eagles, their marketing and presence in Australia is still strong enough to make them a mainstay.
Player and Cultural Connections Help Build An Audience
While there are no NFL teams located outside of the U.S. (as of now at least), different players and cultural connections can play a big part in the popularity of certain NFL teams.
As mentioned before, the Dolphins are popular in South America because of their cultural influence, and the Eagles are popular in Australia because of Mailata.
There are examples of that with more teams when it comes to international markets. The Minnesota Vikings‘ popularity in Iceland, Norway and Denmark is strong because of their cultural identity, heritage and historical roots, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are a presence in Ireland because of the owners’ heritage.
There are also examples of players, like Mailata in Australia, having strong ties to different countries to expand teams’ growth internationally. There are opportunities now more than ever for players to have an impact with the league’s recent International Player Pathway Program. Player and cultural connections play a HUGE role in expansion.
The NFL Is More Popular Than Ever Across the Globe
The NFL is already the most popular thing going in the U.S., still setting viewership records within the country pretty much every season. Now the league has moved on to try to secure international markets to strengthen the shield around the globe.
There are many International programs that are playing a role in league expansion. As mentioned, there is the Global Markets Program, International Player Pathway Program and the International Series but they have also introduced NFL Flag and NFL Academy, both programs to help the youth get involved and get to know the game. The academy program is specifically designed for the development of international student-athletes ages 16-19.
To add to the game’s expansion, talks are being held about an NFL game being played in Tokyo in 2027 or 2028.
The moral of the story is that the NFL is rapidly expanding outside of the States, and because of these efforts, the league is more popular than ever internationally.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
