The NFL's use of international games in England and Mexico is building a global fanbase. But the demand for games outside of the continental United States far outweighs the supply of being able to play them.
In an exclusive interview with Sports Business Journal, commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the issue. He notes the league cannot keep up with the demand of doing so, as he mentions the media being ” an equal part of the international growth strategy.”
“The reality is that the demand for playing those games is greater than we have in the inventory. But what we're trying to do is, it's a combination of the media, the events themselves, and our partnerships.”
The NFL has slowly been upping their presence in international markets for the past 14 years. In 2019, they will play four games in England and another in Mexico. The games typically do well in terms of ticket sales; he doesn't question that for a franchise coming overseas. What Goodell has concerns about is the competitive viability of a team outside of the United States.
“I have no doubt that the fanbase and the commercial opportunity is there [for a franchise]. Can we do it competitively? Can we do it where our 32 teams can compete at a competitive level? And that's critical. At the end of the day our game is our product.”
The reality of the situation is that having a team outside of the US would be a logistical nightmare. It doesn't appear as if it's happening anytime soon, at least outside of EA Sports Madden.
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