The NFL is finding an increasingly receptive audience overseas. International games are drawing record audiences on NFL Network, and Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to turn a handful of overseas matchups into a regular part of the league’s schedule.
According to ESPN’s latest announcement, NFL Network’s five-game International Series slate averaged 6.9 million viewers in 2026, a 16% increase over the previous record set last season despite having one fewer game.
Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals-Atlanta Falcons matchup in Madrid helped close out the series, averaging 6.2 million viewers across NFL Network and NFL+. That’s up 5% from the 2025 international game average.
The league also reached a new milestone with its overall international schedule, which featured nine regular-season games outside the United States across four continents. The overseas lineup included stops in:
- Melbourne, Australia
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- London, England
- Paris, France
- Madrid, Spain
- Munich, Germany
- Mexico City, Mexico
Five of those games aired on NFL Network, making this the network’s most-watched international series to date.
Goodell Wants Games Overseas Almost Every Week
The record audiences arrive as the NFL continues to push beyond its traditional U.S. footprint. Goodell has repeatedly discussed a goal of playing 16 international regular-season games each year, giving every one of the league’s 32 teams an opportunity to play overseas.
Goodell discussed that target back in 2024, telling reporters, “I think we’ll end up going to 16 (international) games at some point in time.” As Cord Cutters News previously reported, the commissioner said restructuring the season could help make that expansion possible.
He reiterated the plan in 2025, saying the league wants to reach 16 games so every team can play one international matchup each season. That would put an international game on the schedule nearly every week.
Recently, the league has taken steps toward that goal. NFL owners approved an increase to as many as 10 international regular-season games beyond the 2026 season, up from the current limit of eight. Goodell’s longer-term target, however, goes considerably further.
During a recent appearance in Paris, Goodell said Tokyo remains on the league’s radar, potentially as soon as 2027 or 2028. He also pointed to the 100,000 fans who attended the NFL’s first game in Australia as evidence that the league can find success in new markets.
“We’re planning on playing global. That’s where we’re going,” Goodell said.
An expanded international schedule could also help explain why the NFL continues to entertain the possibility of an 18-game regular season. Goodell has said expanding the season should be part of future discussions between league owners and players. However, an 18-game schedule has not been approved, and the league has yet to reach an agreement with the NFL Players Association.
Could International Games Get Their Own Streaming Package?
Meanwhile, this international success comes during a major transition for the league’s media business. The 2026 season marks the first year NFL Network has been part of ESPN’s portfolio following ESPN’s acquisition of the network and certain other NFL media assets.
ESPN now has a larger role in distributing NFL programming, with NFL Network content available through the ESPN app. The move also brings more of the league’s media operation under the same company that already holds major NFL broadcast rights. The network is also gearing up for its first Super Bowl on February 14, 2027.
The World Wide Leader is building its football presence beyond the NFL, too. The company recently secured exclusive media rights to all 23 games of the expanded 24-team College Football Playoff.
As the NFL looks to expand overseas, the league is exploring the possibility of creating a separate media-rights package for international games, potentially giving one streaming service the opportunity to carry a regular slate of matchups.
The NFL’s current media-rights agreements run through 2033, but most include opt-out provisions following the 2029 season. ESPN’s agreement has a later opt-out provision following the 2030 season. Goodell has confirmed that the league is evaluating whether to restructure its existing packages and is talking with current and potential media partners about what comes next.
In September, during an interview with CNBC, Goodell addressed the possibility of selling an international package in the United States or globally. NFL media chief Hans Schroeder took that idea a step further in October at the Front Office Sports Tuned in Summit, describing a potential consistent international game window that could appeal to a global streaming service.
As Cord Cutters News previously reported, the NFL has considered selling a package of up to nine international games to a dedicated media partner. Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video are all potential fits, given their existing relationships with the league and ability to distribute games internationally.
The NFL has already experimented with that approach. Peacock carried its first Brazil game in 2024, YouTube streamed the 2025 Brazil opener, and Netflix took the league’s first regular-season game in Australia in 2026. A dedicated international package could turn those one-off streaming arrangements into a regular part of the NFL schedule.
The NFL Is Going Global, But Will Streamers Get Sacked With Higher Bills?
For the NFL, more international games mean more opportunities to reach new audiences, sell media rights, and build demand for the sport in markets where American football is still growing. Goodell has even said he has no doubt the league will eventually have a team based outside the United States.
But expanding the NFL’s reach also raises questions for fans at home. More games and more media partners could mean additional streaming options, but they could also make it harder to keep track of where everything airs.
That is already a problem for some fans. Recent studies have found that following an NFL team can cost fans nearly $150 in streaming subscriptions this season. The figure reflects the growing number of services needed to watch a team’s games, depending on its schedule. A different study found that 1 in 4 Americans use VPNs to watch live sports. The league will have to balance its global ambitions with making the viewing experience accessible to the fans who already support it.
The international ratings suggest the NFL has plenty of room to grow. The bigger question is how far the league can expand without making it more complicated and expensive for fans to follow the game
