The NFL’s Global Ambitions: A New Era of International Competition

The National Football League (NFL) has long been a staple of American sports, but in recent years, the league has set its sights on global domination. With the rise of international games and a growing global fanbase, the NFL is poised to become a truly global sports powerhouse.

The NFL’s Brazilian Adventure

In a historic first, the NFL will host its first-ever game in Brazil this season, pitting the Green Bay Packers against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo. The game marks a significant milestone in the NFL’s global expansion, and players are taking notice. Packers running back Josh Jacobs recently revealed that the NFL had instructed players not to wear green, citing concerns about gang activity in the region.

“They said, ‘You know, they said that the part of Brazil we’re going to, you can’t even wear green at,’” Jacobs said on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast. “They said, I guess, something to do with the gangs and stuff.”

The Corinthians Arena, home of the Brazilian soccer club SC Corinthians, has an informal ban on wearing green due to a rivalry with the green-clad Brazilian club Palmeiras. The ban is taken seriously enough that the team fined one of its players for wearing green cleats during a match in 2021.

The Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil

The NFL’s Sunday Ticket Package Under Fire

Meanwhile, the NFL is facing a multi-billion dollar antitrust lawsuit over its Sunday Ticket package. The lawsuit, first brought in 2015, argues that the NFL’s package of out-of-market games restricts consumer choice and forces fans to pay more for access to their favorite teams.

“Given the relatively low cost of internet streaming and satellite and cable television carriage, each team acting independently would offer their games at a competitive price to anybody in the country who wanted to watch that particular team,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys argued in a filing.

The lawsuit could have significant implications for the NFL’s television rights deals and the way teams make money. The NFL argues that the current arrangement offers the broadest possible selection of games for fans at a good value.

 A screenshot of the NFL Sunday Ticket package

The Future of the NFL

As the NFL continues to expand its global reach, it’s clear that the league is committed to becoming a truly global sports powerhouse. With games in Brazil, the UK, and Mexico, the NFL is poised to tap into a vast and growing global fanbase. But as the league faces challenges from antitrust lawsuits and changing consumer habits, it’s clear that the NFL will need to adapt to stay ahead of the curve.

 The NFL’s global ambitions