GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

The NFL Moves the Goalposts Overseas

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Matt Bowers
Board of Contributors

Mar 19, 2018 | 16:29 GMT

The Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers squared off for a game in London on Oct.31, 2010, as part of the NFL International Series, launched in 2007.

In the 2017 season, the NFL held four international series games, including three in London.

(Pool/Getty Images)

Highlights

  • The rise of international games in Mexico and the United Kingdom raises the question whether the NFL will try to expand to other locations or establish franchises abroad.
  • London, Toronto and Mexico City are the three most immediate contenders for a new NFL franchise.
  • Geopolitical and logistical factors could make the Mexican capital the strongest candidate for expansion.

Whatever the reason behind it, the decline in viewership is troubling for the NFL commissioner, especially when combined with falling participation rates in youth tackle football. As interest in watching and playing football stagnates, the long-term sustainability of the NFL in its current form becomes more uncertain. And if the NFL's traditional model for drawing fans and future players to the sport is buckling under a constellation of factors shaped by evolving consumer behavior, the next question that arises is where future fans will come from. A study recently reported that American men between the ages of 18 and 25 indicate a preference for watching esports over traditional sports. Women, meanwhile, already make up around 45 percent of the NFL's viewership, and the league's recent efforts at direct outreach to women are overdue to say the least. To survive in the long run, the NFL will necessarily rely on courting...

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