O’Reilly said the NFL, its clubs and partners now have a “global mindset,” with 25 of the 32 clubs participating in the league’s global marketing program.
This spans 19 countries, helping to build brand awareness and fan engagement, while the rise of streaming services and NFL content on social media means the league is reaching a much wider, younger audience.
“Beyond the games themselves, there is so much growth happening all year round around the world that we’re excited about,” O’Reilly added.
With the NFL dominating the US sports market in terms of viewership and sponsorship revenues, the next frontier is the international market.
It is unclear how much this brings in to the NFL currently, but it is the most profitable sports league in the world, generating revenues of $20 billion (£15.7 billion) in 2023.
The NBA earned $13 billion (£10.2 billion) in the 2023-24 season, while Premier League clubs earned a total of £6.1 billion ($7.8 billion) in the 2022-23 season.
Most of the NFL’s revenue comes from media rights. In 2021 it agreed an 11-year deal worth $111 billion (£87.3 billion). The NBA’s current deal, also for 11 years, is worth $76 billion (£59.8 billion) and the Premier League’s is worth £10 billion ($13 billion) over three years.
However, in 2023, the NFL dramatically expanded its streaming offerings by signing a 10-year deal with DAZN, allowing fans in over 200 countries to watch every game live.
Then, in May this year, the NFL signed a three-year deal with Netflix, which reportedly paid $150 million (£118 million) to broadcast two live games on Christmas Day.
The league says these will be the first “truly globally distributed games” in the sport.
More games will mean more media rights sales, and more international games may mean that – due to time zones – there will be a fourth broadcast window every Sunday.
Imagine that: 12+ hours of live NFL action every week. It’s no wonder the league and its teams have such a “global mindset.”
