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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNew Orleans Saints’ David Edwards arrives at the reception pavilion of Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy north of Paris, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Teresa Suarez)<\/p>\n
The NFL has teamed up with Paris Saint-Germain and French stars like Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and rugby player Antoine Dupont to help promote the game.<\/p>\n
Brett Gosper, the NFL\u2019s head of Europe and Asia-Pacific, told The Associated Press that the French market has been one of \u201chigh interest\u201d for some time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would make sense to play regularly here each year, but we haven\u2019t made that call yet,\u201d Gosper said in a recent interview. \u201cWe like to see how things go the first time, but we\u2019re pretty confident it will be a successful execution of that game.\u201d<\/p>\n
To land lucrative media-rights deals in any market, the league knows it needs to attract new fans and push higher into that country\u2019s TV viewership preferences.<\/p>\n
\u201c(The) Super Bowl is your first meeting, normally, with new entrants, so if we can make this week as much like a Super Bowl as possible, a mini\u2013Super Bowl, then we\u2019ll hopefully recruit some new fans this week and that\u2019s the whole goal,\u201d Gosper said.<\/p>\n
NFL: \u2018No disruption\u2019<\/p>\n
The league said Sunday that \u201cpreparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters,\u201d the NFL\u2019s statement read. \u201cWe are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There\u2019s been no disruption or impact at league sites.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Saints left for Paris from New York shortly after beating the Giants 34-27 on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur guys are really looking forward to this. It\u2019s going to be an awesome setup, awesome opportunity,\u201d coach Kellen Moore said at his postgame news conference.<\/p>\n
Mbapp\u00e9, PSG part of the plan<\/p>\n
Soccer club PSG announced it has partnered with the NFL on two distinct game jerseys. Saints players were also invited to PSG\u2019s Champions League game against Barcelona at Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
Mbapp\u00e9, the France and Real Madrid star, pulls on shoulder pads and a helmet in an NFL social media segment with Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt works very well and it raises the profile and it makes the game more accessible to people who aren\u2019t as familiar with it in that country,\u201d Gosper said of the collaborations.<\/p>\n
Antoine Griezmann, a former France international soccer star who now plays for Orlando City in Major League Soccer, has been a big NFL supporter through the years through podcasts and TV appearances.<\/p>\n
Rugby plays a role<\/p>\n
Another gateway into the French sports scene is through rugby, Gosper said, speaking before last weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very strong sports market. Yes, it\u2019s dominated by soccer, but rugby has a big part in it,\u201d said Gosper, the former CEO of World Rugby.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe familiarity with a physical sport like rugby, we think helps, as it has in the UK and Australia. People are used to watching collisions and contact and enjoy that and like to see a different version of that. So, we think that\u2019s helpful in France.\u201d<\/p>\n
France rugby star Antoine Dupont will be at Sunday\u2019s game. He once spent a day at the training facility of the Los Angeles Chargers and showed coach Jim Harbaugh how to pass a rugby ball.<\/p>\n
The Americans are coming<\/p>\n
Just what France needs: more Americans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a particularly high U.S. inbound on this,\u201d Gosper said, estimating around 20%, which is higher than a typical London game.<\/p>\n
The stadium capacity is about 82,000. He said 70% of the tickets were bought locally, and the remaining 10% are from elsewhere in Europe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t announce sellouts, but the stadium is full,\u201d Gosper said.<\/p>\n
Climbing the ladder<\/p>\n
State-owned France Televisions is covering Sunday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re seeing this as a major national event in France. They\u2019ll have a very big free-to-air audience,\u201d Gosper said.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n