NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wants the NFL to be a global league, a point he emphasized during a chat on Saturday in Dublin, where the Minnesota Vikings will play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
“In today’s world, we have to be global,” Goodell said, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “Every time we play an international game, fans say they want more. I really, truly believe our game can and will be global. Our job is to share our game with the rest of the world.”
Goodell previously said during an interview last September from São Paulo, Brazil, where the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers, that he’s hoping to have 16 international games per season.
The league’s ownership has already approved up to eight international games per year.
This season features seven international games: one in São Paulo, one in Dublin, three in London, one in Berlin and one in Madrid. Next year, the Los Angeles Rams will be hosting a game in Melbourne, Australia.
According to NFL.com, Goodell has his eyes set on a game in Asia next. He also noted that he’d like to see all 32 teams play one international game per year.
“I think our next step after Australia would be probably moving into Asia,” Goodell said. “That’s a continent we’d like to be playing in. We are serious about being a global sport. We would like to get to 16 games so everyone is playing one game a year internationally.”
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