The NFL’s International Series is expected to move south of the border next season, and possibly beyond. After much speculation, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports the league will announce this week that it’s extending the series, which will include playing a game in Mexico City in 2016. The extension of the series is expected to be a long-term move.
The NFL is expected to play a game in Mexico City next season
The league will reportedly announce this week its return to the most populous city in North America.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Germany was also believed to be in the mix, but Rapoport says the success of the 2005 49ers-Cardinals matchup in Mexico City ultimately swayed the NFL's mind. The contest set an all-time attendance record for a regular season NFL game, with more than 103,000 people backed into Aztec Stadium.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the owners' meetings in May that expanding the International Series was a priority of his. Wembley Stadium in London has hosted the series since its inception in 2007. Three games will be played across the pond this season, including Sunday's tilt between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
Mexico City isn’t the only foreign market the NFL could soon infiltrate. There’s been talk that Brazil could host the 2017 Pro Bowl, which would be remarkable considering the NFL doesn’t have much of a presence in South America. Brazil has one of the biggest populations in the world, and the Pro Bowl could be a good litmus test to see if football can catch on in the soccer-obsessed nation.
Goodell has mentioned numerous times he wants the league to reach $25 billion in annual revenue by 2027. Expanding into international territories appears to be a big part of that plan, even if the league hasn’t opted to put a team overseas full-time -- yet.
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