NFL eliminates home game protections for international series
Awful Announcing • • sports
Key Points:
- NFL owners voted to eliminate teams' ability to protect home opponents from being scheduled for international games, removing the previous limit that allowed teams to shield two home matchups per year.
- The cap on international games will increase from eight to 10 starting in 2027, with the potential for 11 games overseas when including the Jacksonville Jaguars' annual Wembley Stadium game.
- Removing protections allows the league to schedule higher-quality matchups internationally, addressing previous issues where teams protected their best opponents, limiting the games available for overseas play.
- The NFL aims to eventually host 16 international games per season, one for every team, and eliminating protections is a step toward that goal and enhances the value of a dedicated international rights package.
- This move also makes financial sense as the league seeks to create a lucrative international broadcasting rights deal, leveraging top-tier games for global audiences starting in 2027.