The National Football League is once again heading across the Atlantic this weekend, kicking off a trio of games in London that will take place throughout October. The first matchup will feature the Indianapolis Colts facing the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. A week later the Jacksonville Jaguars will return to the same venue to meet the Philadelphia Eagles, and the final London contest will close out the month at Wembley Stadium on October 18, where the Jaguars will square off against their AFC South rivals, the Houston Texans.
These fixtures underscore the league’s unwavering dedication to the United Kingdom, but they also hint at an even broader, more global ambition. By the conclusion of the 2026 season, the NFL will have staged nine regular‑season games outside the United States, a record that reflects the organization’s willingness to experiment and expand.
London has been a proving ground for this strategy, repeatedly demonstrating that teams can arrive, train, play, and depart with minimal logistical friction. The city’s ability to host high‑caliber events on short notice has become a template that the league is now applying to far‑flung locales.
This season, the NFL will break new ground in three additional continents. Australia will host its first regular‑season game, as will Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, while a historic encounter in Paris, France, is slated for late October. The pace of international expansion shows no signs of slowing; analysts predict that ten games could be played abroad next season, and some even envision a future where as many as sixteen regular‑season contests take place outside the United States each year.
Realising that vision, however, hinges on a forthcoming collective‑bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association. If the league secures permission to extend the regular season from the current 17 games to 18, it will have the scheduling flexibility needed to accommodate a larger slate of overseas matchups.
In the meantime, the NFL appears to be borrowing a page from Formula 1’s playbook: rotating teams through a variety of international markets to cultivate new fan bases, generate global media interest, and attract sponsorship dollars from a worldwide audience. Commissioner Roger Goodell has been vocal about this approach.
In conversations he has emphasized that limiting games to one or two foreign cities only expands the sport’s reach in those specific markets. By contrast, staging contests in ten, twelve, or more locations spreads the NFL’s brand across a mosaic of cultures, creating a more resilient and diversified fan base. Goodell has also hinted—particularly during his recent visit to Germany—that the league is entertaining the notion of permanent overseas franchises, perhaps even a dedicated European division that could include teams in London, Germany, Spain, and France.
Why the sudden resurgence of the franchise conversation? The NFL is acutely aware that momentum is fragile. After an initial burst of speculation about a London‑based franchise that later faded, the league adopted the Formula 1 model as a pragmatic interim solution.
Yet the success of those pilot games appears to have reignited interest in more permanent overseas presences. Goodell’s renewed willingness to discuss franchising suggests the league is keeping its options open, ready to pivot if the data supports a deeper, more lasting investment.
From a betting perspective, the path forward is anything but certain. Some observers see the franchise idea as a long‑term goal, while others view the rotating‑city strategy as the most viable way to test markets before committing to permanent teams.
What is clear, however, is that the NFL’s ownership group and its leadership are more committed than ever to growing the sport beyond American borders. Flag‑football initiatives, youth programs, and international broadcasting deals are all part of a comprehensive plan to nurture new fans and future players.
Whether the league ultimately settles on a hybrid model—continuing to stage occasional games abroad while eventually planting permanent franchises in select cities—or decides to double down on the Formula 1‑style rotation remains to be seen. What is certain is that the groundwork is already being laid: stadiums are being upgraded, local partners are being cultivated, and the logistical playbook is being refined. For fans around the world, this aggressive expansion promises more opportunities to watch live NFL action without having to travel to the United States.
Sky Sports, for example, will broadcast every game of the 2026 season, including the playoffs and Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, with streaming options available through NOW without a contract. As the league pushes forward, international supporters can look forward to a future where the NFL feels as much a part of their local sports landscape as it does in America. In summary, the NFL’s return to the UK this October is more than a seasonal itinerary; it is a strategic stepping stone toward a truly global footprint.
Whether that culminates in a European division, a handful of overseas franchises, or an ever‑expanding roster of one‑off games, the league’s commitment to international growth is unmistakable and likely to shape the sport for decades to come.