While the NFL has been incredibly popular in the United States for many years, the league has recently prioritized globalization in an effort to expand the sport’s popularity abroad.
Enter the International Series.
After back-to-back weeks with a 9:30 a.m. ET NFL game in London, is there an International Series contest in Week 8?
Will Any NFL Games Be Played Overseas in Week 8?
No, there is no international game on the schedule this week.
While the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots faced off at Wembley Stadium in London last week, and the Jaguars and Chicago Bears played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London the week before, fans will have to wait two weeks before the fifth and final international game of the season.
The final International Series contest will take place in Week 10 when the New York Giants face the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany, at 9:30 a.m. ET. Like the other International Series games, this will be broadcast on NFL Network.
When Did the NFL Start Playing Internationally?
While the International Series as we know it was created in 2007, the league started playing games overseas many years earlier, including multiple games in London back in the 1980s.
Between 1950 and 1983, 13 games involving NFL or AFL teams were played outside of the United States; seven of those games were against CFL teams in Canada. Three other games were also played in Canada — one in Toronto, two in Montreal — but they were against fellow NFL teams rather than outside opponents. The final three games were played in Tokyo in 1976, Mexico City in 1978, and London in 1983.
In 1986, the NFL launched the American Bowl, an annual preseason game that was held outside of the United States. The first-ever American Bowl was played in London on Aug. 3, 1986. Over the years, games were played in Japan, Canada, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Ireland, and Australia.
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However, after the 2005 exhibition game between the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts in Tokyo, the NFL decided to abandon the American Bowl.
At the same time, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the end of NFL Europa, the league formerly known as the World League of American Football and NFL Europe. The final season of NFL Europa took place in 2007 — the same year the NFL started the International Series, which featured annual regular-season games in London.
Initially, the belief was that the NFL was assessing whether it made sense to give London its own NFL franchise and examine how a UK-based team could work logistically. In recent years, the NFL expanded its International Series to five overseas games being played during the 2024 season, including three in London.
Someday, we might even see London host the Super Bowl, which is something Goodell and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have discussed.
The International Series Isn’t Going Anywhere
The International Series has been a huge success in terms of growing the sport abroad. It isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s only going to expand. The NFL could increase the number of overseas games and expand to new countries.
The NFL has committed to holding at least four international games every season, with each of the 32 teams hosting at least one game over an eight-year cycle.
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In 2022, the NFL launched its Global Markets Program, which is designed to “build brand awareness and fandom beyond the US through fan engagement, events, and commercial opportunities.” Twenty-five NFL clubs are now associated with 19 international markets (some teams are involved in more than one market).
Recently, the NFL signed a multi-year agreement with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to make it the official home of the NFL in the United Kingdom. This agreement states that the NFL will play at least two games each season at the stadium through the 2029–2030 NFL campaign.
The NFL is headed to London this weekend, and the field they are playing on (Tottenham's stadium) is an engineering masterpiece 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PvtjGvt709
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano)
The league is planning a 2025 regular-season game in Spain. The NFL also confirmed that it is considering Australia for an international contest.
Rather than zeroing in on London, it seems the NFL wants to continue hosting games all over the world in order to expand the sport’s popularity in as many countries as possible.
