With the NFL concluding its international series Sunday with the Panthers and Giants in Germany, international expansion in the coming years continues to be at the top of mind for league executives.
Outside of London, where the NFL has for years centered its international operations, the country seeing the greatest investment from the NFL is Australia. Sources tell CBS Sports the NFL could hold a regular season game on the island continent as early as the 2026 season, and the NFL has pondered playing the Pro Bowl Games Down Under at some point in the future.
Though the NFL is expanding its international games to eight for the 2025 season, it is believed that Australia — specifically Sydney and Melbourne — will have to wait another year for a game. The NFL has conducted site visits to both cities as it continues to work through the logistical hurdles.
Despite a time difference larger than any other lands currently being explored by the league — Sydney is 16 hours ahead of Eastern time — the NFL is eager to get to Australia for a regular season game. Consider the investments the league has made there: In 2022, the NFL tabbed New Zealand native Charlotte Offord to be the general manager for its Australian efforts. In September of this year, the league opened an NFL Academy on Australia’s Gold Coast that will develop student athletes between the ages of 12 to 18.
The Australian academy is the second international academy the league sponsors, following suit with the United Kingdom. An “elite high-performance NFL Academy facility on existing college grounds” in Australia will be completed by 2026, the league announced earlier this year.
Australia entices the NFL for several reasons. There is a vibrant sports scene there, and there’s no language barrier. It is distinct from the European expansion the league has endeavored, and no other major American sports league has penetrated the…
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