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(AP) - The Buffalo Payments, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and New England Patriots will every play worldwide video games throughout the NFL’s 2023 common season.
The Chiefs and Patriots will play in Germany. The Payments, Titans and Jaguars will play in London. The Payments and Titans are the designated house groups for 2 video games on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, whereas the Jaguars will host a sport at Wembley Stadium as a part of their multi-year dedication to enjoying in the UK.
The league introduced the plans on Thursday.
Opponents, dates and occasions for the video games will probably be launched when the total schedule is introduced later this yr.
There will probably be no worldwide sport in Mexico in 2023 as a consequence of renovations going down in Estadio Azteca in Mexico Metropolis.
“We now have a protracted historical past and we proceed to develop however these worldwide video games are pivotal,” NFL government Peter O’Reilly advised the AP. “Those that have been there and skilled it, you simply see the eagerness of the followers in these markets. That is the prospect for them to expertise the very best of the NFL stay and it’s a chance for year-round engagement with the followers there. There’s nothing larger and higher than an NFL sport and people groups to be there in these markets and placing it on in a stadium.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Munich within the NFL’s first regular-season sport in Germany this season. The vacation spot cities for the 2023 video games will probably be introduced later this yr. The NFL beforehand confirmed that Munich and Frankfurt will host video games in Germany over the following 4 years.
The Chiefs and Patriots are a part of the league’s Worldwide House Advertising and marketing Space program, which sees groups safe worldwide advertising and marketing rights in international locations past the USA, with either side having been awarded rights in Germany.
The Payments and Titans will play their second video games in London. The Payments misplaced to the Jaguars in London in 2015. The Titans misplaced to the Chargers there in 2018. The Jaguars will play their tenth sport in London.
The 5 worldwide video games in 2022 set record-breaking attendance and viewership with ticket demand and variety of followers growing for the league internationally. Every sport was offered out with a complete of 356,116 in attendance.
The Chiefs, Payments and Jaguars are enjoying AFC divisional playoff video games this weekend.
“We couldn't be extra excited to take part in a Germany sport and introduce extra of the world to Chiefs Kingdom this fall,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt mentioned in a press release. “Our group and our followers have had unimaginable experiences in London and Mexico Metropolis as a part of the Worldwide Collection up to now, and we stay up for serving to the NFL in its effort to proceed rising the sport in Germany.”
The Patriots are 3-0 in worldwide video games.
“We're thrilled to be chosen to play in Germany this yr,” Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft mentioned. “We're undefeated in our three earlier worldwide video games, thanks partly to the excellent help from our followers. We all know that a few of our most passionate followers reside in Germany, and we stay up for lastly enjoying a sport there. We all know the followers will create a tremendous ambiance. We're positive it is going to be a memorable expertise and one of many highlights of the 2023 season.”
The NFL’s enlargement to 17 regular-season video games provides groups a ninth house sport in alternating seasons. As much as 4 of the groups from the convention whose groups are eligible for that ninth regular-season house sport are designated to play a neutral-site worldwide sport annually.
The league continues to discover enjoying extra video games internationally and the potential of putting a franchise overseas.
“There’s nothing imminent,” mentioned O’Reilly, the NFL’s government vice chairman, membership enterprise, main occasions and worldwide. “There’s actually complexities to work by means of for those who’re going to have a group in Europe. That’s our duty to proceed to look and see what’s viable. The actual fact we’re having this dialog is the capability that exists in these markets. We now have terrific stadiums, good governmental companions. These are constructing blocks however it’s a posh course of that takes occasions and alignment however it’s our duty to do the work and the evaluation.”
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Observe Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
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