The NFL international expansion is now making its target the UAE or United Arab Emirates. The NFL’s popularity has gotten a boost from the new fans that the teams in the NFL have found on the global stage. The concept of the international expansion of the regular season was frowned upon at first, but after the last few years, the league has experimented with hosting games overseas to great success. The expansion has been welcomed by the international fans who are growing more interested in the NFL coming to their hometown.
What has the international expansion meant for the teams in the NFL?
In the 2024 season, the NFL approved 5 games for the regular season. The teams in the NFL have been allocated a certain country or city to market themselves. The teams that are selected for the international games will lose one home game to make space for their international games. The expansion proved to be a successful idea as the teams that played overseas, saw an increase in their fan numbers.
Last year the NFL hosted games in London, Munich and Madrid. With even more countries joining the international hosting duties. The teams that have a larger following are allowed to market themselves in a lot more countries. For example the Kansas City Chiefs have been allocated Austria, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
The teams are awarded a five-year term to market themselves in these countries, allowing them to establish a fanbase around the globe. With all the problems that the NFL is trying to leave behind, the international expansion has had the desired effect and changed the way the world perceives the game of football. The American media spend a lot of time speculating and discussing every aspect of the game, including the expansion.
Will Dubai or Abu Dhabi prove to be a successful market for the NFL teams?
The international expansion has been nearly seamless for the teams in the NFL. However, the new location that has been proposed has a slightly more challenging environment to deal with. The UAE has opened its doors to the world. Music concerts and huge sporting events have taken place in the country for the first time recently. However, the world is still skeptical of the Arab nation.
There are some issues to consider. The UAE does not boast the best human rights record. The country is constantly surrounded by controversy and alleged human rights violations. The NBA have hosted a few pre-season games there in recent years, much to the dismay of the world’s critics. This is no doubt due to the autocratic UAE government and its reputation.
The San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Rams have been allocated the region to market themselves. With Washington playing a crucial role in the future of the NFL, the eyes of the world will be on the UAE’s reaction to the critics and the publics interest in the game of football. Hopefully for all involved, the politics can be set aside.
Can the NFL expand the international locations for the future?
With the NFL evolving season by season, the market for international expansion is better than ever. Whether the three teams allocated to the UAE can make some success remains to be seen. The fans back at home might have something to say as well. They might not even be able to watch the game live as the UAE is 11 hours ahead of the Pacific Daylight time zone, making the broadcast time 2 a.m. in San Francisco or Los Angeles. The NFL might need to reconsider if the backlash becomes too overwhelming.
