The 2026 NFL schedule was revealed last week. And more than one observer will have noticed that the “raw” number of international matches in 2026 is probably the best in the history of the NFL.
For example, the Australians will have a superb 49ers vs Rams, the Brazilians will be able to enjoy a tempting Cowboys vs Ravens or even a promising Falcons vs Bengals in Spain.
Overall, all international NFL meetings have advantages this year: team in the Super Bowl, 6 playoff teams in 2025, stars or even historic franchises (Steelers, Cowboys…). There doesn’t really seem to be any “poor relation” this year.
And all this is not a coincidence.
The NFL’s assumed international strategy: offering quality
Indeed, during a conference call Friday devoted to the new schedule, Mike North, vice president of NFL broadcast planning, addressed the trend of moving more and more games abroad.
“Currently, a resolution allows clubs to protect a limited number of their home matches from international broadcast. The league discusses it a lot and, as I said, at the beginning, four or five games were protected, then three. We are now down to two, and that number could go down further as we look to build a schedule and provide quality matches for our international fans. » explains North.
The vice-president clarified his point a few minutes later.
“We can’t let a team say, “I don’t want my best two games to be ineligible for international broadcast.†What message does that send to international fans? So there is a lot of discussion about whether we can remove these protections altogether… So I hope that the protections will continue to lessen, or even be removed altogether. I think it would be better for everyone, not only for international fans, but also for teams who want to play abroad and are constantly blocked. HAS”
If he did not give a specific example, we can think of the blockages “suffered” by the Steelers and Packers. Several media revealed that the Jaguars had protected their home game against the Steelers to keep it in Jacksonville and the Saints would have done the same with the Packers to “keep” them in New Orleans.
Regardless, the NFL once again provides proof that its internationalization has become one of the pillars of its development strategy. The NFL has gone from a minimalist offering for international fans to an enticing one. International fans can rejoice.
