The NFL is coming to Brazil for the first regular-season game ever in South America next season.
And by 2025, the International Series will expand to eight regular-season games. Both measures passed in a vote at the league meetings in Dallas on Wednesday.
The game in Sao Paulo at the Corinthians Arena, home to Brazilian soccer team the SC Corinthians, was an official venue for both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement, which places a league regular-season game on a fifth different continent.
“Bringing the NFL to new continents, countries and cities around the world is a critical element of our plan to continue to grow the game globally,” Goodell said. “Brazil has established itself as a key market for the NFL, and we are excited to be playing in Brazil and Sao Paulo for the first time in 2024. We look forward to working with the city of Sao Paulo, SP Turis and Corinthians Arena to deliver a world-class game day experience for this passionate and growing fan base.”
The NFL’s International Series featured three games in London and two in Frankfurt, Germany, this season.
The 2024 schedule already included action in Munich, Germany (one game), and London (three), with the participants to be determined.
New markets and host cities/stadiums for future 2025 and beyond will be formalized at a later date, the league said Wednesday.
“Becoming a global sport is a major strategic priority for the league and 32 teams,” Goodell said. “Increasing international game inventory allows us to grow our global presence and share our game with exciting new markets to connect with more fans around the world.”
The league scouted locations in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in Brazil, as well as Madrid in Spain for a potential 2025 game.
“There’s a lot of interest in the NFL,” league executive vice president Peter O’Reilly told ESPN in September. “I mean, we saw it. We did a Super Bowl viewing party last year down in Brazil, and it was packed and the energy is there.
“You’ve got some classic soccer clubs around the world who are really interested in hosting the NFL and building a relationship with the NFL. So the marriage of those two — there’s interests there, for sure, and it’s just determining the timing and the approach.”
The Miami Dolphins possess commercial rights in Brazil, and the Chicago Bears and Dolphins have rights in Spain under the NFL’s global markets program. The league has never played a regular-season game in either nation.
–Field Level Media
