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The Philadelphia Eagles are no strangers to passport stamps. They opened the 2024 season in São Paulo. They’re headed to London this season for a Week 5 showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. If the NFL gets its way, those trips may become far less occasional.
The league’s international ambitions continue growing, and the next expansion may be coming sooner than many realize. NFL owners are expected to vote on increasing the number of International Series games to 10 beginning in 2027. That would represent yet another jump after the league already expanded to nine international games in 2026, the highest total in NFL history.
That number keeps climbing for a reason. The NFL isn’t being subtle about its desire to grow the game globally. League offices have long viewed international expansion as one of the clearest paths toward making professional football a more worldwide attraction, similar to the NBA or Major League Baseball.
The current nine-game slate likely won’t be the stopping point. There have already been whispers that the long-term goal could eventually climb as high as 16 international games per season, particularly if the expected 18-game regular season eventually arrives alongside revised media agreements.
That may still be a few years away. The trend, however, is obvious, and simple math tells Eagles fans something worth noting.
More international games naturally increase Philadelphia's chances of being selected more often. That's unavoidable. There's also another component. The Eagles aren’t simply another franchise when it comes to marketability.
They’re one of the NFL’s most recognizable brands, one armed with a massive fan base, star power, recent success, and the type of passionate following the league loves showcasing on larger stages. Philadelphia's fans routinely invade opposing stadiums across the country.
They packed out London in 2018. They showed up in force in Brazil. Even road games often feel less hostile than they should because Eagles supporters travel so well. The cities they play in are also often home to massive numbers of fans who already live there.
That makes them valuable inventory. This season's London game against the Jaguars likely comes with practical reasoning as well. Jacksonville is navigating ongoing renovations at EverBank Stadium, transforming it into the "Stadium of the Future." They'll play in Orlando's Camping World Stadium in 2027 while construction continues.
Still, logistics only explain part of the story. The broader takeaway is bigger. Jacksonville plays two international games in 2026. If the eventual expectation is one overseas appearance per participating team, expanding to 10 international games would mean more than half the league would be involved annually. That dramatically changes the odds.
Philadelphia also happens to be a particularly logical candidate moving forward. They have nine home games this season despite traveling internationally, possibly because they surrendered a home contest during the Brazil trip in 2024, but they'll play nine road games next season, creating multiple opportunities for the league to pluck one from the schedule and relocate it overseas.
No one can predict exactly when that happens, but if you've been paying attention, this feels less like speculation and more like an eventual reality. The Eagles are too popular, too marketable, and too good a draw for the NFL not to keep putting them on the global stage. The writing, in some ways, feels like it’s already on the wall. Eagles fans may need to stop viewing international trips as occasional scheduling quirks and start seeing them as part of the franchise's new normal.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: NFL will allow up to 10 international games starting in 2027
Continue reading...
The league’s international ambitions continue growing, and the next expansion may be coming sooner than many realize. NFL owners are expected to vote on increasing the number of International Series games to 10 beginning in 2027. That would represent yet another jump after the league already expanded to nine international games in 2026, the highest total in NFL history.
That number keeps climbing for a reason. The NFL isn’t being subtle about its desire to grow the game globally. League offices have long viewed international expansion as one of the clearest paths toward making professional football a more worldwide attraction, similar to the NBA or Major League Baseball.
The current nine-game slate likely won’t be the stopping point. There have already been whispers that the long-term goal could eventually climb as high as 16 international games per season, particularly if the expected 18-game regular season eventually arrives alongside revised media agreements.
That may still be a few years away. The trend, however, is obvious, and simple math tells Eagles fans something worth noting.
The Eagles could be featured on the international stage more frequently moving forward
More international games naturally increase Philadelphia's chances of being selected more often. That's unavoidable. There's also another component. The Eagles aren’t simply another franchise when it comes to marketability.
They’re one of the NFL’s most recognizable brands, one armed with a massive fan base, star power, recent success, and the type of passionate following the league loves showcasing on larger stages. Philadelphia's fans routinely invade opposing stadiums across the country.
They packed out London in 2018. They showed up in force in Brazil. Even road games often feel less hostile than they should because Eagles supporters travel so well. The cities they play in are also often home to massive numbers of fans who already live there.
That makes them valuable inventory. This season's London game against the Jaguars likely comes with practical reasoning as well. Jacksonville is navigating ongoing renovations at EverBank Stadium, transforming it into the "Stadium of the Future." They'll play in Orlando's Camping World Stadium in 2027 while construction continues.
Still, logistics only explain part of the story. The broader takeaway is bigger. Jacksonville plays two international games in 2026. If the eventual expectation is one overseas appearance per participating team, expanding to 10 international games would mean more than half the league would be involved annually. That dramatically changes the odds.
Philadelphia also happens to be a particularly logical candidate moving forward. They have nine home games this season despite traveling internationally, possibly because they surrendered a home contest during the Brazil trip in 2024, but they'll play nine road games next season, creating multiple opportunities for the league to pluck one from the schedule and relocate it overseas.
No one can predict exactly when that happens, but if you've been paying attention, this feels less like speculation and more like an eventual reality. The Eagles are too popular, too marketable, and too good a draw for the NFL not to keep putting them on the global stage. The writing, in some ways, feels like it’s already on the wall. Eagles fans may need to stop viewing international trips as occasional scheduling quirks and start seeing them as part of the franchise's new normal.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: NFL will allow up to 10 international games starting in 2027
Continue reading...
