NFL Owners Push for Eighteen Game Season With Mandatory Global Expansion Plan
League leadership is actively pursuing an expanded 18-game schedule that would fundamentally reshape the organization's global footprint, key figures indicate that the change involves mandatory international appearances for all teams to spur revenue growth beyond the saturated American market.
Economic Pressures Drive Push for Calendar Expansion
The league has steadily increased its inventory over decades, moving from 14 games to the current 17-game format established in 2021, however ownership now views the domestic television market as fully saturated. The National Football League already controls 93 of the top 100 most-watched programs in the United States, finding new avenues for financial growth has become essential to increasing the salary cap. The proposed "18 plus 2" model would reduce the preseason to two games while adding a commercially valuable regular-season contest, this strategy aims to generate the revenue necessary to support rising player costs.
Owners Target Global Markets While Union Weighs Options
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Commissioner Roger Goodell have framed the expansion as a strategic certainty, the plan requires all 32 franchises to play at least one game abroad annually. This would create a slate of 16 international matchups every season, this shift represents a massive increase from the current limited international schedule. While the logistics are complex, the primary hurdle remains the collective bargaining agreement with the players.
Union leadership has publicly opposed the physical toll of an extra game, Executive Director Lloyd Howell Jr. stated that players do not want the additional risk associated with a longer season. Despite this resistance, analysts suggest the union may leverage their approval in exchange for significant concessions, these potential gains include raising the players' revenue share above 50 percent, expanding roster sizes, or securing a second bye week to aid recovery.
European Fans Gain Primetime Access and New Venues
Viewers in the UK and Ireland stand to gain significantly from the restructuring, the increase in international fixtures would likely cement Dublin as a permanent host city alongside London. The shift also promises more afternoon kickoff times for European audiences, eliminating the barrier of late-night broadcasts. Additionally, an 18-game season pushes the Super Bowl to Presidents' Day weekend, this potentially grants American fans a post-game holiday while alleviating schedule fatigue for international followers.
Negotiations regarding these changes are expected to intensify before the current labor agreement expires, officials anticipate a potential implementation of the new format by the 2028 or 2029 season.
