The NFL is the biggest sport in America, but it has an untapped international market. It is continuing to make moves to try to break through — like through its international games — and it announced another one.
The NFL is expanding its practice squads to include an international player for each of its 32 NFL teams, the league announced on Sept. 13.
"The National Football League has announced the expansion of the practice squad for all 32 clubs beginning in 2024 to include one international player, helping to create more opportunities for talented athletes from around the world to be identified and developed in the game of football," the announcement read.
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The NFL created the International Player Pathway Program in 2017. Every year, one division has participated and added one international player onto their practice squad with the opportunity to make the final 53-man roster.
37 international players have signed with NFL teams so far, and five have made active rosters: Australia's Jordan Mailata (Philadelphia Eagles), United Kingdom's Efe Obada (Washington Commanders), Germany's Jakob Johnson (Las Vegas Raiders), Chile's Sammis Reyes (Washington Commanders), and Germany's David Bada (Washington Commanders).
But by 2024, NFL practice squads will grow from 16 to 17 players if teams can qualify one of the players to be an international player. A player would qualify as an international player if their principal place of residence is not in the United States or Canada and has a maximum of just two years of high school experience in the United States.
“The game grows and improves with global talent from around the world who inspire the next generation in their home nation,” Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice President, Football Operations said in the press release. “This League-wide initiative paves the way for more international athletes to demonstrate that football has a place for everyone.”
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While bringing international players into the NFL helps create a more diverse environment on the field, it also unlocks the potential of bringing in international fan bases and markets.
The NBA is the prime example of this strategy working. It had 120 players from 40 different countries last season, helping it become one of the most popular sports in several countries.
The last three MVPs of the league have been international players, and that's helped grow its popularity in Europe and Africa. In Asia, basketball has also become one of the most popular sports, particular in countries like China, Japan, and the Philippines, the latter two of which hosted the recent FIBA World Cup.
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