LAS VEGAS — The Philadelphia Eagles will play host to the NFL’s first regular-season recreation in Brazil, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduced Monday in his state of the NFL media convention at Allegiant Stadium.
The Eagles, who final performed a world recreation in 2018, will face a to-be-announced opponent in São Paolo on Friday, Sept. 6, the day after the NFL season kicks off on Thursday night time. This would be the NFL’s first Friday recreation on opening weekend in additional than 50 years.
“We’re simply extremely captivated with our development on a worldwide foundation,” Goodell stated. “We’re satisfied we is usually a international sport within the close to future. Our possession has dedicated to permit extra video games to be performed on an annual foundation, on a worldwide foundation. We’re excited in regards to the followers’ response and our media companions. I feel it is a nice alternative for the league and we’re dedicated to creating it a worldwide sport.”
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The Eagles’ house opponents for the 2024 season are the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Inexperienced Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Brazil is new for us this 12 months,” Goodell added. “We predict that is giving us the power to entry extra followers. Not simply right here within the States, however on a worldwide foundation. And I feel it’ll be an enormous hit. We’re excited.”
Per NFL.com, the league counts 38 million followers in Brazil with an “elevated” curiosity in recent times in relation to the playoffs and the Tremendous Bowl. The league’s web site additionally famous 49,000-seat Corinthians Enviornment, which performed host to World Cup matches in 2014 in addition to Olympic soccer matches in 2016, because the seemingly web site of the sport.
The NFL already performs worldwide video games in England and Germany and could possibly be focusing on Spain in 2025 as homeowners handed a decision within the fall compelling every workforce to play a world recreation as soon as each 4 years.
Goodell’s playing stance
One other theme of Goodell’s 52-plus minute presser was the irony of his sturdy stance towards legalized playing in 2012 with the Tremendous Bowl now being performed in Las Vegas.
“Defending the integrity of the sport, ensuring that our followers perceive that what they see on the market doesn’t have any undue affect [is key],” Goodell stated.
“We didn’t make the choice. Finally, the choice was a call by the Supreme Court docket – they legalized sports activities betting. We have now to adapt. We have now to embrace it. We have now been cautious. We have now been very considerate, I feel, in our strategy. However we all know the danger and defending the integrity is No. 1.”
Goodell stated he believed 13 gamers had already been disciplined with regard to playing.
“If [you’re] betting on the NFL, you are terminated robotically,” he stated. “That is it.”
Belichick ‘executed a lot for the league’
For the primary time since 1974, Invoice Belichick shouldn’t be employed by an NFL workforce. Goodell was requested his ideas on a Belichick-less league.
“You recognize, that man is among the nice coaches in our historical past,” Goodell stated. “He is extraordinary. And what he is achieved, he is wonderful to me.”
Goodell stated he had spoken with Belichick for the reason that season ended for the New England Patriots.
“He is executed a lot for this league,” Goodell stated. “He is modified the sport, in some ways. He is introduced innovation and I do not suppose anybody can take something away from his report, whether or not he is teaching or not. I feel he’ll be missed, however I’ve a sense that he’ll nonetheless be across the recreation one way or the other.”
In 2007, Goodell fined Belichick $500,000 for his function within the Patriots’ “Spygate” scandal.
Streaming TV future?
Many followers had been upset when the AFC wild card recreation between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Miami Dolphins was streamed on Peacock.
And whereas Goodell wouldn’t say streaming was the wave of the long run – he did say a streamed Tremendous Bowl was not going to occur on his watch – it’s a actuality and a part of the NFL’s future.
“Customers are transferring off paid tv,” he stated. “We have now to have the ability to attain followers there…we have now to fish the place the fish are. And we have now numerous customers on these platforms.”
Goodell stated 90% of the NFL’s video games had been nonetheless on “free TV” however the common age of the viewers dropped by nearly 10 years for the Peacock broadcast, which, he added, outdrew the identical broadcast in the identical window a 12 months earlier.
Goodell on Swift conspiracy: ‘Nonsense’
Sure, Goodell has heard the conspiracy theories in relation to Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift, whose romance has taken on a lifetime of its personal this season. He scoffs at such tales.
“Hear, I feel anyone on this society, after they’re in a public place, are going to be topic to criticism,” Goodell stated. “The concept that this was in a script, or this was pre-planned, it is nonsense. It is, frankly, not even value speaking about.
“We see two individuals which might be actually completely satisfied collectively, having enjoyable collectively, I feel that is fantastic and I want them nicely. They’re each fantastic individuals. The truth that they’re each concerned with soccer in some trend, by their relationship, that is nice. We welcome that.”