The NFL has the opportunity to become a “true global sport”, according to the it’s Head of UK and Ireland, Henry Hodgson.

The league’s ambition to court wider international recognition has long been evident, and 2025 is set to be the biggest initiative yet. 

The NFL’s international series will see a record seven regular season games played outside of US shores. It will also break new ground as it adds Ireland’s Croke Park in Dublin and the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain to its overseas roster.

Speaking to Insider Sports, Hodgson said: “We’ve looked and tried to identify what markets the NFL has an opportunity to grow in, not just to play games in, but to actually build a sustainable fan base, to find the right media partners and build participation.”

The growth of the sport outside of its traditional US stronghold is not only beneficial to the league itself, but to sportsbooks around the world looking to add a new market to their offering and attract new customers. 

Entain, operator of brands such as Ladbrokes and Coral, revealed last year that the growing interest with the sport has translated into greater betting activity across their platforms.

It reported a 65% year-on-year surge in the number of British and Irish fans placing bets, with a 60% jump in the number of bets placed. Similarly, total stakes on the sport increased by 46% year-on-year.

Speaking on the results, Entain’s Managing Director for Sports, Greg Ferris, highlighted the importance of the NFL taking games on the road.

“The NFL has become truly international, with games taking place around the world, helping to grow a global fanbase,” said Ferris. “In the UK and Ireland, fans are not only betting more on the games in London. They are also betting on many of the prime-time games being staged in the US.”

Although much of the NFL’s growth strategy has been focused on Europe, Latin America is also of interest. The Philadelphia Eagles kicked off their season in São Paulo in 2024 and the league will return to the Corinthians Arena in 2025.

A marked contrast to the NFL’s first foray into the region is the change in the sports betting landscape due to the opening of Brazil’s regulated market in the new year. The game, slated to involve the Los Angeles Chargers, will no doubt be of interest to the myriad of operators that are seeking to gain a foothold in the country’s fledgling regulated market.

Growing adoption of the sport

As well as gaining more eyes on the top level of the sport, Hodgson also hailed the work of NFL teams to grow participation of the sports at a grassroots level in the UK through flag football. 

Currently, according to Hodgson, there are over 120,000 young people playing flag football, the non-contact version of the sport, as part of their PE curriculum. Additionally, sides such as the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Chicago Bears have lent their support to establishing youth leagues in the UK.

“Flag is a really important part of our business,” he explained. “The NFL clubs that are investing as part of our global markets programme have the opportunity to, as one of the tactics they use to grow the sport, adopt a city or a flag football league around the country that they’re responsible for. Teams are looking at that and saying, “this is a good way for us to put our foot into the market.”