Week 4 will begin the 2023 season’s run of international games in the NFL, with a trio of contests in England and a pair in Germany. The idea of regular season contests in new foreign markets is currently being explored.
The NFL has sent officials to Spain and Brazil to “investigate the possibility” of playing there, per executive vice president Peter O’Reilly. Regular season games could be scheduled as early as 2024, he added, depending on the success of the league’s fact-finding missions and the feasibility of playing games in Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, specifically.
“That’s the diligence that we do constantly,” O’Reilly said during an appearance on the Adam Schefter Podcast. “What is the stadium like here? Could we play a game here? What does the support look like? So we’re not there yet in terms of timing on that. But we are spending time in those markets, building relationships and looking at the stadia there.”
In the wake of last year’s debut Germany game, Spain was listed as one of the European markets the league was interested in exploring regarding new hosts. Two teams – the Bears and Dolphins – have international marketing rights there, meaning they would be logical choices to take part in a game played in Spain in the near future. Stadiums being explored as possible host sites include the iconic Santiago Bernabeu, home to Real Madrid.
The Dolphins are the lone NFL team with marketing rights in Brazil, a country which, like Spain, has yet to host a game. Given the success of the league’s expanding international series, though, it would come as no surprise if at least one of the two countries being looked into was granted hosting rights sooner than later. Brazil and Spain are each home to one active NFL player (Bears kicker Cairo Santos and former Eagles draftee JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who is currently unsigned).
“Brazil and Spain are two strong markets and two important markets,” O’Reilly added. “And importantly, there are also markets that clubs are interested in… Marrying where clubs are now building their fan base is important.”
O’Reilly also mentioned Australia is on the league’s radar as a potential destination for regular season games, but logistics on that front represent more of a roadblock than they do for Europe and South America. In the immediate future, attention will soon turn to London and Frankfurt for their role in the 2023 International Series, but new locations for NFL games could soon be in place.
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