London – The NFL plans to expand into new international markets, including Japan, as it seeks to build on growing interest outside the United States, the league’s head of Europe and Asia-Pacific Brett Gosper said. The league’s 2026 regular season, which begins on Sept. 10, will feature a record nine international games across seven countries, up from seven the previous year.
“Japan is a market of interest at the moment,” Gosper said. “There is a good following, good participation in that market as well … and a lot of sporting fans and an affinity with American sports like baseball and so on.”
The former CEO of World Rugby, however, did allude to a potential limitation with scoring a touchdown in some Asian markets.