I have spent much of this week watching Australian coverage of the NFL and scrolling through social media posts as the 49ers and Rams prepare to play the first regular-season game in Australia. The coverage has been entertaining, enthusiastic and occasionally educational. There have been explanations of the rules, breakdowns of the equipment and attempts to introduce American football to a country that already has a sport called football.
The Aussies are excited. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Moreover, the NFL has taken over the city. The Jonas Brothers will perform at halftime, and Tourism Australia has built an advertising campaign around the game featuring wildlife conservationist and television personality Robert Irwin. He's the son of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. In addition, Netflix will distribute the game globally.
It should be a spectacular event. I'm just not convinced it proves football has become a global sport.
This season, the NFL is staging nine regular-season games in seven countries outside the United States. That represents an extraordinary expansion from the occasional London game of the past. The league is no longer simply testing international markets. Moreover, overseas games have become an important part of its schedule, television strategy and marketing machine.
However, more games in more countries don't automatically mean football has developed deep roots in those places.
#sport
The Aussies are excited. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Moreover, the NFL has taken over the city. The Jonas Brothers will perform at halftime, and Tourism Australia has built an advertising campaign around the game featuring wildlife conservationist and television personality Robert Irwin. He's the son of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. In addition, Netflix will distribute the game globally.
It should be a spectacular event. I'm just not convinced it proves football has become a global sport.
This season, the NFL is staging nine regular-season games in seven countries outside the United States. That represents an extraordinary expansion from the occasional London game of the past. The league is no longer simply testing international markets. Moreover, overseas games have become an important part of its schedule, television strategy and marketing machine.
However, more games in more countries don't automatically mean football has developed deep roots in those places.
#sport
3 days ago
