Bad Games Abroad | Does the NFL give the other countries leftover games?
The NFL talks about growing the sport globally. But what fans overseas usually see are matchups that lack hype, star power or even playoff meaning. Meanwhile, the league keeps its biggest, flashiest games in the U.S. That creates a perception: good football stays domestic, and overseas fans get leftovers.
This season, the NFL is staging seven regular season international games, the most ever. Some of this seasons international matchups:
- Chargers vs. Chiefs in São Paulo
- Vikings vs. Steelers in Dublin
- Vikings vs. Browns in London
- Broncos vs. Jets in London
- Rams vs. Jaguars in London
- Falcons vs. Colts in Berlin
- Commanders vs. Dolphins in Madrid
One team has been almost synonymous with international games: the Jacksonville Jaguars. Through 2024, they’ve played 13 international games, the most in the NFL. In London specifically, the Jaguars hold a 6-5 all-time record in 11 games there.
So yes, the league is expanding abroad, but many matchups aren’t the blockbuster games U.S. fans tune in for. That fuels your argument: overseas fans usually get middling matchups, not the marquee rivalries.
If the NFL truly wants to build a global fan base, they need to start sending some of the best games overseas, not just the ones that are safer or easier to move.