A brief history of the NFL’s global expansion

Wherever you are, whoever you are, the word 'football' most likely evokes a very specific thought in your mind: a round ball being kicked into a rectangular goal. On the other side of the pond, however, the word 'football' stands for a different sport, played with helmets, shoulder pads and an oval ball, that has never really enjoyed much popularity outside the US. That's because the rest of the world is very fond of the other 'football', which is played with the feet, and has never considered the sport to be American - hence the name. So now, when the NFL tries to get out of the US and conquer new markets, it has to use a very precise strategy.

First games outside of US soil

NFL officials noticed the marketing potential of games played outside of the country earlier than many may think. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, in fact, it was not unusual for teams to travel to Canada, although it would not be until 1976 that the NFL took its product outside of North America. The so-called ‘Mainichi Star Bowl’ between the St. Louis Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and the San Diego Chargers (now the LA Chargers) was hosted in Tokyo on August 16th of that year, and despite it not being the success that the NFL hoped it would be, the game inspired two more international exhibitions: Mexico City in 1978 and London in 1983. London ended up being the game-changer, calling for more - much more. Thus, the ‘American Bowl’ was established.

American Bowl era

The American Bowl was nothing more than an increase in the frequency of these pre-season international games. Between 1986 and 2005, the format dictated that at least one game per season be played outside of the US, and NFL stars traveled to London, Mexico City, Berlin, Dublin, Barcelona, Toronto, and many other global cities. In practice, the American Bowl was not much different than the international games played pre-1986, but it did give this practice a sense of continuation, a brand, and most importantly, an official name. The NFL no longer played random games at random times in random cities, but rather specifically made space for global games on its calendar every single year. The American Bowl would sell out massive stadiums like Wembley and Estadio Azteca, helping the NFL climb atop a popularity wave that comfortably carried the league and its international endeavors into the 1990s. 

It was during this decade that the American Bowl peaked (sometimes counting 4 games per season), and NFL Europe came to be. This minor developmental league was ultimately labeled a failure when it folded in 2007, but it did help American football to penetrate the ‘Old Continent’ further. Teams from Spain, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Germany, gave Europeans a taste of the NFL product in their own countries, although the league’s constant loss of money buried this project once and for all. So, with NFL Europe folding in 2007 and the American Bowl discontinued in 2005, the NFL needed to create something new and exciting - something that would take its global popularity to the next level.

The International Series

Regular season games, games that actually count for something were and still are the International Series’ unique selling point. And despite the absurdity of American teams traveling as far as Germany in the middle of the season, the International Series has done nothing but boost the NFL’s image around the world. What started out in 2007 as an exclusively London event has now also expanded to Mexico City, Munich, and Frankfurt, routinely selling out some of the biggest stadiums on the planet. The first regular season game to be played outside of the United States, however, came slightly before the inception of the International Series. The game in question took place on October 2nd, 2005, under the name ‘Fùtbol Americano’ in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. It registered a crowd of 103,467 people, an NFL attendance record at the time.

Present day

Today, the NFL’s international future looks to be very promising. Just last year, the league introduced a global markets program of sorts, granting 19 of 32 teams to freely market their brand across 14 countries, namely with in-person events, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and of course, games. Cities like London are seeing a tremendous rise in NFL popularity, and this is leading NFL officials to start looking for new opportunities, which is where Spain, Madrid, and a very famous ‘soccer’ stadium may come in.

After the 5 games set to be played in Europe during this season - three in London and two in Frankfurt - 2024 could be the year we see NFL stars lace up at the famous Santiago Bernabéu stadium. There is interest from both sides. Spain, in fact, is one of the 14 countries that are part of the aforementioned global markets program, and only the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins are entitled to market their products in the country. This means that Madrid games will probably involve one of the two teams, if not both.

So here is the NFL's next international destination. A stadium so iconic, so important to football history, that it's hard to associate it with anything that doesn't involve a round ball. Realistically, the stadium is the only real option in Madrid and, in terms of capacity, probably one of the few in Spain. Moreover, as we have already reported, the Bernabeu has just been renovated and technically updated, much like Tottenham Stadium, which became the most used NFL stadium in Europe after its inauguration.

However, the juxtaposition of the Santiago Bernabéu with American football could also be about creating an intense and almost illogical contrast between the two types of football that arouses the reactions of purists and the interest of those in Europe who have discovered the NFL thanks to Taylor Swift. So get ready, because Justin Fields and Tyreek Hill are now mere months away from taking the field at Madrid’s incomparable Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in this crazy, yet intriguing NFL quest for international fame.