NFL owners approve record 10 international games for 2027 season

NFL club owners approved adding one more international game for the 2027 season, bringing the total to a record 10.

There is also a possibility the league could add an 11th international game if it receives approval from the NFL Players Association.

The NFL this season will set a new record with nine international games played in Melbourne, Australia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Madrid, Spain, Paris, France, Munich, Germany, Mexico City, Mexico and three in London, England.

Club owners approved increasing the number of international games at a meeting in Orlando, according to NFL Executive Vice President Peter O'Reilly.

The league's ultimate goal is to play a full season of games internationally, which would mean 17 or 18 games abroad. That would also mean an international game every week of the season and every team playing one international game every season.

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the league to 10 international games a year, but there is an exception for teams that are unable to play at their regular home stadium. That will be the case for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2027.

EverBank Stadium, currently undergoing renovations, will be completely closed during the 2027 season. So the Jaguars have agreed to use Camping World Stadium in Orlando as their temporary home field. That means the NFL hopes to use the Jaguars game at Wembley Stadium as its 11th international game.

O'Reilly also said the league has begun exploring the possibility of playing games in Japan. The league held preseason games there in the early 1990s, but the effort was short-lived.

The expansion means 10 or 11 games that would otherwise be played in the United States will not be. It also means the NFL fully embraces the idea of turning some NFL Sundays into marathon events with an international game starting at 9:30 a.m. ET, followed by the regular 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. windows on the East Coast, and the primetime 8:20 p.m. game to end the day.

The NFL is intent on continuing its expansion. Because it already covers every corner of the United States, it has its sights set internationally. Adding the international fan base is potentially a new revenue stream.