The NFL is headed to South America. Fans have known about the NFL’s latest international venture since mid-December, but commissioner Roger Goodell shed more light on what to expect during his Super Bowl press conference Monday.
The league has pushed to expand its international footprint, with games in Mexico City, London, Frankfurt and Munich. Despite chatter about the addition of another European city, the NFL instead is headed to São Paulo, Brazil, in the 2024 season.
“We are just incredibly enthusiastic about our growth on a global basis. We are convinced we can be a global sport in the near future,” Goodell said Monday.
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Here’s the latest information on the NFL’s 2024 Brazil game, the league’s first in South America.
NFL in Brazil, explained
Goodell shared two new details on the Brazil game during Monday’s press conference.
For starters: The game will be held Friday, Sept. 6, during the first week of the season, marking the first time the NFL will have a Week 1 game on a Friday since 1970.
Goodell also provided clarity on who will participate in the contest — at least for one fanbase. Eagles fans will have to make the trip down to South America to see their team open the season, as Philadelphia will serve as the host team in São Paulo. The opponent has not yet been announced.
“We’re going to do it on our kickoff weekend, which is an unusual approach and different than we’ve ever done,” Goodell said. “We think this is giving us an ability to access more fans not just here in the States, but on a global basis and I think it’s going to be a huge hit. We’re excited.”
The game will be played in Corinthians Arena, which seats about 49,000 people.
An NFL on a Friday does not happen often. Because of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, Fridays and Saturdays between the second Friday of September and the second Saturday of December have been protected for high school football to ensure the NFL doesn’t attempt to compete with local high school games.
Since the game will now be held on Sept. 7, it does not fall into that window. Dating back to the start of the 1970 season, there have only been 12 NFL games fall on a Friday. Just once (1970, Rams vs. Cardinals) did the game happen on Week 1.
Sao Paulo time zone
NFL fans have become accustomed to International Series games being played early on Sunday mornings to accommodate European time zones. That won’t be a problem for the game in Brazil.
Sao Paolo is one hour ahead of Eastern Time, so if the game starts at 8:30 p.m. BRT, football fans on the East Coast can expect it to start at 7:30 p.m. ET, while fans in California can expect it to begin at 4:30 p.m. PT.
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