NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league could cross the Pacific to play in Tokyo in upcoming seasons.
Under the league’s collective bargaining agreement with its players, the NFL can organize up to 10 international games each year.
On the “NFL Daily” podcast, which is officially affiliated with the league, Goodell said, “Listen, Tokyo is clearly on our list, whether it’s next year or the year after. It’s coming at some point in the near future.”
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The league operated an office in Tokyo and played 13 preseason games in the city between 1976 and 2005, according to the NFL’s website.
The Los Angeles Rams are the only team with marketing rights in Japan via the league’s Global Markets Program. They have the same rights in Australia, where they played the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne to kick off this season.
The rights do not always determine which teams are scheduled to play in a league game abroad. The game held in Rio de Janeiro this season, the first of the three games in London and the upcoming game in Madrid, Spain, each involved two teams that don’t hold marketing rights in the host country.
The NFL has four international games remaining this season:
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints on Sunday in Paris. The Saints have marketing rights for France.
- Atlanta Falcons vs. Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 8 in Madrid.
- New England Patriots and Detroit Lions on Nov. 15 in Munich. Both teams have marketing rights for Germany.
- San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 22 in Mexico City. The Niners have marketing rights in Mexico.
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