• Loading stock data...
Friday, June 20, 2025

NFL Could Add 50M International Fans Under New Regulations

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

The National Football League is strengthening its international presence.

Following a major pivot in league regulations, teams can market in specific foreign countries for the first time ever.

Teams can now align with clubs in other countries on co-marketing pacts, promotional tours, merchandise, and sponsorships. Countries on the list include Mexico, Canada, Germany, the U.K., China, and Brazil, which already has 63.7 million NFL fans.

The league counts 190 million U.S. fans, but Chris Halpin, the NFL’s chief strategy officer, told The Athletic “our next 50 million fans will come from these international markets.”

As many as half of the league’s teams were expected to submit proposals on Thursday.

  • The Kansas City Chiefs are interested in an alliance with an overseas soccer club — founder Lamar Hunt helped create MLS and owns a team. Chiefs president Mark Donovan says “they have contact names and networks.”
  • The Denver Broncos are looking at Mexico, the country with the second-largest Broncos fan base outside of Denver. The team’s Facebook and Instagram have 394,000 followers from Mexico and 331,000 from Denver.

Country licenses will be granted in the coming months, with five-year terms starting Jan. 1.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

John Fisher

A’s Owner John Fisher Eyes MLS Exit Ahead of Billion-Dollar Vegas Project

The Earthquakes owner said he had hired a bank for a sale.
Noah Lyles

Tyreek Hill–Noah Lyles Race Is Off for ‘Personal Reasons’

Lyles and Hill agreed to a race in February with few concrete details.
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome.

Former Chiefs Employee Sues for Racial Discrimination

Ramzee Robinson says the Chiefs paid Black employees less than white ones.

Featured Today

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
Jun 13, 2018; Moscow, Russia; A general view of a beer stand inside of Luschniki Stadium one day prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Saudi Arabia Says No Alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia won’t allow alcohol anywhere during the 2034 World Cup.
August 30, 2024

Premier League Transfer Spending Has Already Topped $2 Billion As Deadline Looms

Saudi Pro League teams haven’t yet matched their English counterparts.
January 13, 2025

Gavin Newsom Reveals Status of 2028 Olympics As Los Angeles Wildfires Roar

Gavin Newsom says there’s a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Los Angeles.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Paralympics Tiktok
August 25, 2024

The Wildly Successful Paralympics TikTok Account Isn’t What You Think

A cheeky TikTok account is opening the world of Paralympic sports.
August 11, 2024

Passing of the Torch: Los Angeles Set for Olympic Firsts in 2028

The city last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984.
August 1, 2024

Saudi Arabia Submits Bold World Cup Bid That Includes a Cliffside Arena

The Saudis are proposing a new stadium in a futuristic city called Neom.
John John Florence (USA) surfs in men’s round two competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach.
July 29, 2024

Olympic Surfers Won’t Get Their Full Paris Moment

‘We’re kind of separate off on our own little thing over here.’