NFL wants to have 16 international games, including in Asia

[Setackin]

Yikes!

They really need to add a 2nd bye week.

 

[Setackin]

clearly they have player safety in mind with this announcment

Need a 2nd bye week

 

[csirl]

That could be. You seem much more versed on it than I.

I’m basing my opinion largely on my ex who is from England. Maybe they will get a bit into it and buy merch, but not a lot more. It’s a very large world, and it doesn’t need to be international but Roger’s job is essentially to pull every last dollar out of foreign countries.

Europe? Ok fine. But Asia? Pushing it as far as distance.

One thing I was fully against was trying to put a team out of NAmerica permanently, and that seems dead. I wonder your thoughts on that…

Also it’s peculiar that the Jaguars are very often and over seas home team.

I live in Europe and have been involved in the sport at grassroots level since the late 80s.

The NFL seems to have pivoted from having a franchise in Europe. I believe this is because the logistics needed at least 2 x teams in Europe to make it work. They werent prepared to go to 2 x franchises. So the alternative was the 17th game with every team playing overseas every year.

I think the permanent franchise idea would have worked from a European perspective, but it would need to be a new franchise with its own European identity rather than moving the Jags and/or Chargers to London and/or Germany.

The one criticism of their current policy of more games overseas is their team territory designation. I think this is limiting. For example, they assume everyone in Ireland is a Steelers fan or wants to be one. Most Irish NFL fans dont follow the Steelers. I know fans of all 32 teams. I think they would be better rotating all teams in all markets rather than the designated team status. I'd be quite certain the UK posters in this site would say the same about the Jags and London.

 

[Coogiguy03]

They really need to add a 2nd bye week.

very true!!!

 

[Pompey-Cowboy]

So if the ultimate goal is to sell TV rights and replica jerseys in other countries and not to establish an overseas nfl franchise or two, surely 16 overseas games is excessive and unnecessary. Better surely to play an overseas game or two in different countries each season.