The NFL’s international experiment continues to expand. As it should.
Via NFL Network, owners will vote Tuesday on a proposal that would increase the minimum number of international games from four to eight. Given that the annual Jaguars home game falls beyond the league’s initiative, that would mean a minimum of nine games every year not on American soil.
They should run it all the way to 16, frankly. If the NFL will be sticking with 17 regular-season games, it’s imperative from a competitive-balance standpoint that all teams have eight true home games, eight true road games, and one neutral-site game. Today’s proposal, if successful (and it will be), would get the league more than halfway to the magic number of 16.
That’s the best long-term solution for the NFL. Moving a team to England or Germany raises too many issues. Export six games to England, six to Germany, and four elsewhere.
The expansion of international games also means more 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday kickoffs. Which will become a potentially lucrative window to be sold, in time, to a network or a streamer.
It makes sense to play more games internationally. It makes sense for every team to play an international game, every year. It feels like that’s where it’s heading, sooner than later.
