(Bloomberg) — The National Football League will be play its first game in South America when the Philadelphia Eagles take on an unnamed opponent at the beginning of the season on Sept. 6.
The game will be played in Sao Paulo on a Friday, the first time in 50 years the league has played on that day of the week.
“It’s an unusual approach and different than we’ve ever done,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said at a press conference on Monday. “We think this is ability to access more fans not just in the states but on a global basis.”
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The league had not played on Fridays and Saturdays due to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which sought to limit league play so it wouldn’t interfere with high school and college games. The act bans Friday night professional football beginning on the second Friday of September through the second Saturday of December. The Eagles will play on the first Friday.
The league announced in December that it would play in Brazil for the 2024 season. The game will take place at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo. The league had also considered hosting a game in Spain.
The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers will also play international games later this year.
“We embrace the opportunity to grow our fan base around the world and bring Eagles football to the 38 million sports fans in Brazil,” Eagles Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.
The NFL began assigning its clubs international marketing rights in 2021. Countries within the program include the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, China, France and Ireland.
2024-02-06 02:04:59
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