NEW YORK — The NFL’s appetite for international games is growing.
The league’s owners approved more such games through 2025 on Wednesday, including ones in places other than England — possibly Mexico, Germany and Canada.
“We think it’s time to expand our international series to other countries and respond to the growing interest in our game not only in the U.K., but elsewhere around the world,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
So not only was the agreement for games in Britain extended through 2016, but other nations will be considered as well. Mexico, where one regular-season game was played in 2005 and drew a record attendance of 103,467, is a front-runner for next year.
“That’s our biggest fan base, our most vibrant market,” said Mark Waller, the league’s vice president/international. “It would be a logical place to start.”
The NFL will announce the 2016 international games this fall. Three games are at London’s Wembley Stadium this season for the second straight year, and that number could be increased.
“We haven’t committed to any games in London, but it would be a big surprise to me if we went backward,” Waller said. “We have great momentum. We sold out three games there. I’d be shocked if we didn’t play three games. … We could’ve played four this year.”
Earlier this year, the NFL agreed with English Premier League club Tottenham to play at least two games a season at its new stadium in north London, which is scheduled to open in 2018. That is a 10-year deal.
Regular-season international games began in 2007 at Wembley. One game per year was played until 2013, when the league increased it to two.
Now other locales very much are in play.
“The great news now is that we have the ability to go look at all geographies,” Waller said. “We’ve been very clear that our priority after getting the UK up and running is Mexico and potentially Germany, so that’s where our focus is. Mexico we are hugely excited about, always have been, at least since 2005.”
Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said his team would be interested in playing in Mexico City, but not if it meant giving up a home game.
“We’d like to see if we can add a game in a new country for 2016,” Waller added. “That’s our goal. We’ll definitely continue the U.K. focus.”
The league also is looking at Canada — Toronto and Vancouver, British Columbia — and several cities in Germany have expressed interest.
Waller said the NFL would not place international series games in two countries other than the United Kingdom next year.
The league also is looking at moving the Pro Bowl outside the U.S. Brazil has expressed interest in the all-star game, and Waller said Australia, South Africa and Asia also were potential sites, but probably not before early 2018.
“You could realistically look at taking that almost anywhere in the world where it’s appealing,” Waller said. “It’s hard to imagine taking a regular-season game to Australia or Asia or the Far East because how would you make the logistics work and then be competitive?
“But the great thing about the Pro Bowl is that it’s a celebration of the end of the season, so we are much more open to where in the world would it be fantastic for players to go and celebrate the end of the season. Rio would be great. South Africa would be great. Australia would be great. It’s a very different animal.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
