The world’s most economically valuable league
Increased interest in domestic OTT broadcasting
‘Viewing Party’ gathered together
Try your hand at ‘flag football’
After the play ended, when I went home alone after drinking and with the lights off, and after the professional baseball season that set the record for the largest audience of 12 million. What do these three situations have in common? ‘Lonely’. This is especially true now that ‘Baseball’, where we laughed and cried while following 144 games, is over. But love is forgotten by other loves. Having another sport to indulge in during the baseball off-season is a great way to overcome the frustration. Basketball and volleyball are great, but here is a sport that fills you with dopamine from your toes to your head. It’s American football.
The National Football League (NFL) is a fascinating American football league that only Americans are passionate about and has the highest economic value in the world. According to the U.S. economic magazine Forbes, the most valuable sports team in 2025 is NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, worth about 18 trillion won ($13 billion). Second place is the Golden State Warriors of the NBA (National Basketball Association) league, worth about 15 trillion won ($11 billion). The most valuable soccer club is Real Madrid, which ranked 20th and is valued at approximately 9 trillion won ($6.75 billion). In the top 50, there were 30 NFL clubs and 12 NJB clubs. The annual salary of the five highest paid quarterbacks in NFL is between 80 billion won ($55 million) and 85 billion won ($60 million). Although numbers do not tell the whole story, they are nonetheless an indicator of NFL’s destructive power.
Over the past two to three years, interest in American football has been growing rapidly, especially among people in their 20s and 30s. The starting point was the 2021 Coupang Play NFL broadcast. Since it has become easier and more convenient to watch live broadcasts, there have been a variety of ways to enjoy American football together, such as YouTube channels, various communities, and ‘viewing parties’ (group viewing events).
YouTuber Lee Joseph (28), who runs the ‘American Football Reading Man’ channel and also provides commentary on American football, is the one who feels these changes most closely. “I have been running the channel since 2020, and the number of subscribers has been increasing rapidly recently. They are mainly people in their teens and 30s. They are attracted to the shorts that feature the superhuman physical abilities of American football players, which leads to interest in the sport of American football.” The number of channel subscribers is 151,000 (as of January 4). Due to the nature of the sport, it uses most of the body’s abilities, so you can see the ‘strongest’ people in the world, which is in line with the recent trend of sports entertainment.
What is the appeal of American football as a professional sport? Choi Chi-yoon (31), who has been addicted to American football for four years after watching American football videos on YouTube, explains: “The biggest appeal is that it is refreshing and intuitive. The part about holding the ball, running, throwing, and catching it is simple, but if you look closely, the strategies and tactics are sophisticated, so the more you understand, the more fun it is. I started watching American football with my brother, and we are having success in ‘selling’ with friends around us, so we are enjoying it together.”
To those who are familiar with baseball, soccer, or basketball, the playing style and rules of American football may seem complicated. However, this is not necessarily the case, and these methods and rules serve as another attraction for American football enthusiasts. Offense and defense take turns. The offensive team must advance 10 yards (9 m) within four opportunities. If you advance 10 yards, you are given the opportunity to advance another 10 yards. Compared to baseball, it is similar to three batters advancing the bases one after another in an offensive inning. Just as in baseball, if the ball hit by the batter goes over the fence, it becomes a home run, in American football, if the ball goes inside the goal line, it is a ‘touchdown’, scoring 6 points. Of course, in American football, the person holding the ball must enter the goal line. If you go to NFL’s official YouTube channel, there is a lot of content that easily explains the basic rules.
The ‘best way to get into American football’ recommended by American football enthusiasts is to watch game highlights. Joseph Lee explains, “A good way is to first feel the fun of American football by watching the highlights of NFL’s YouTube channel.” If you are thrilled by the sight of throwing, running, and colliding with the ball and the cheering and cheering of over 60,000 spectators, you are ready to fall in love with American football. It’s also a good idea to decide on a team or player you’re rooting for. The teams recommended by Joseph Lee are as follows. “If you want to cheer for a team with roots, I recommend the ‘Green Bay Packers.’ If you like something strong and spicy, the ‘Seattle Seahawks’ is also good. If you want to cheer for a player and a team together, I also recommend the ‘Buffalo Bills,’ which has quarterback Josh Allen.” Chiyun Choi is a Denver Broncos fan. “Because I am a fan of the Denver Nuggets, I chose the Denver Broncos, which is based in the same hometown.”
Like all sports, American football is more fun when watched together. Due to the time difference with the United States, you can usually watch games on weekends or weekday mornings in Korean time, but there are also quite a few ‘viewing parties’ or ‘watch parties’ (a viewing method where multiple people communicate in real time and watch content at the same time through an online streaming service, etc.) to watch major games such as the playoffs or the Super Bowl together. ‘Generation Football Korea’ (hereinafter referred to as GenF), an American football education company, has been holding a Super Bowl watch party for three years. At the last Super Bowl party, about 250 people gathered to enjoy the game even though it was a weekday morning. You can easily obtain this information through American football chat rooms or Instagram.
On December 30th last year, the LA Rams, a member of NFL, held a ‘Viewing Party’ in Gangnam, Seoul with college student ambassadors. The LA Rams, a member of the National League’s West Division, are the most active in promoting American football in Korea. LA Rams Vice President Stephanie Cheng said, “LA is the gateway to Asia and a city with a large Korean community, so it has natural cultural and commercial links with Korea. We see the Korean market as a key axis of our brand expansion strategy in Asia and an important opportunity to expand the Rams’ global fan base.”
For those who want to try American football themselves, there is ‘Flag Football’. It is a sport derived from American football, where five players participate in defense and attack, respectively, and score points. Instead of a dangerous tackle, the method is to snatch the flag worn around the waist. Awareness has increased as it was adopted as an official sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. The number of fans who enjoy flag football is rapidly increasing in Korea. CEO Kim Soo-min (31) of ZenF explains, “The number of flag football teams and organizations is increasing across the country, including Seoul,” adding, “Compared to three years ago, the number has increased about five times.” Seo Ga-eun (28) has been playing for the women’s flag football team ‘Raptors’ for three years. “If you like ball games and want to exercise with agility, I highly recommend flag football. I have played many sports such as volleyball and basketball, but there is no sport that produces as strong a dopamine rush as flag football. If you are interested, you can start with the ‘One Day Class.’”
In fact, there is one best condition for getting into American football. Watching Korean players active in NFL. Currently, there are Korean-American players playing key positions such as quarterback, including professional kicker Koo Young-hoe, but there are no native Korean players running on the field. In short, there is no ‘Son Heung-min’. CEO Kim Soo-min says, “The number of Korean players aspiring to become American soccer players is increasing in Korea, and there are also promising players in the American college leagues. It will not be long before we can see Korean players playing in the big leagues.”
January is the best time to join NFL. This is because the regular league ends and the playoffs begin on the 11th, Korean time. The NFL playoffs will be held as a single-game tournament. Since the match is decided only once, there are a lot of ‘crazy’ matches in a positive sense. The NFL Super Bowl, in which the two teams at the top of the two major leagues meet, will be held on February 9th, Korean time. Playoff games such as the Super Bowl can be viewed on Coupang Play, MBC Sports Plus, or overseas platforms such as DAZN. If you’re ready, let’s shout. “Set Hut!”
Ahn In-yong, freelance writer
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