The NFL made a strong push to expand its international footprint this season and could take yet another significant step this week.

Team owners are convening in Irving, Texas, on Tuesday and Wednesday for a special league meeting. A source confirmed to Front Office Spots that the agenda includes a vote, expected on Wednesday, to require all 32 clubs to play one designated home game outside the U.S. every four years. Right now, teams are required to do so once every eight years. Sports Business Journal initially reported the news.

The NFL played five international games this fall — three in London and two in Frankfurt — and is exploring the possibility of playing future games in Madrid and Sao Paulo, Brazil, along with plans to eventually return to Mexico City. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made multiple comments about expanding in Europe and even hinted at playing a Super Bowl in London.

A source told NBC Sports’ Peter King that the new international measure should be easily approved, which could allow the NFL to start playing nine games abroad per season as soon as 2025. 

New Package To Sell?

Currently, games in Europe are typically broadcast at 9:30 a.m. ET, mostly on NFL Network, and one per season on ESPN+ the past two years. Creating a larger slate of games could allow the NFL to sell those broadcasts as their own package.

Former NFL executives have told Front Office Sports they expect the league to move toward a larger schedule of international games before considering placing a franchise abroad. Meanwhile, the NFL has been exploring the potential of putting an international game exclusively behind the paywall of its streaming service NFL+.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are dominating the headlines for winning the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes with a 10-year, $700 million mega-contract. But as that celebration continues, several other clubs across MLB are left to pick up the pieces in the wake of the superstar’s move.

The Los Angeles Angels, who were never seen as serious contenders to retain Ohtani, are now officially facing life without him. The Angels have generated millions of dollars per season via sponsorships with Japanese companies that will likely no longer see the value in those deals. Now, the Halos will look to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 without the help of baseball’s best player.

When rumors that Ohtani would sign with the Toronto Blue Jays flared up late last week, the club’s World Series betting odds improved from 15-1 to as short as 8-1, behind only the Atlanta Braves and Dodgers. The Blue Jays are believed to have offered Ohtani a contract not much lower than the Dodgers’ deal.

The New York Mets were among the teams with an initial interest in Ohtani, but it turns out they never had much of a chance. “The agent never reached out to me personally,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said. “And I think that’s pretty telling.” The Mets began last season with a record payroll, so offering Ohtani a record deal wouldn’t have been an issue.

Dodgers Fans Prepare To Pay Up

Ticket prices for Ohtani’s home debut with the Dodgers next spring are already skyrocketing.

On secondary marketplaces, some standing-room-only tickets were selling for a minimum price of more than $400 in the wake of Ohtani’s signing.

Germany’s top soccer teams aren’t allowed to be majority-owned by holding companies or investment entities like many of their counterparts throughout Europe. But private equity money appears to be on its way into the league thanks to an evolving media rights strategy.

A vote to allow a financial investor to take a stake in a German Football League media company narrowly received the necessary approval on Monday. Sources told Reuters that 24 of the 36 clubs across the top two Bundesliga divisions voted yes to the measure, which required two-thirds approval.

The company or companies that will invest in German soccer are still to be determined, but potential suitors include private equity firms like Advent International, Blackstone, Bridgepoint, CVC Capital Partners, and EQT. German officials are seeking more than $1 billion for an 8% stake in the new company.

Additional funding would help Bundesliga clubs start closing the gap with Premier League teams, which bring in double the revenue of Germany’s top clubs, according to Deloitte. The most recent figures for Europe’s top five soccer leagues show annual EPL revenue at close to $7 billion, with the Bundesliga generating more than $3 billion.

An investment deal could be completed within the coming months, according to the Bundesliga.

The U.S. will host the Olympics in 2028 and likely in 2034. But the Games could hit American soil even sooner.

A $100 million-plus budget error involving the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics has led organizers to explore the possibility of holding some events outside Italy — and the U.S. is among those ready to act if needed. 

Milan-Cortina officials are facing construction estimates for a sliding venue approaching $160 million, after originally proposing a roughly $60 million spend. Lake Placid, New York, host of the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, has submitted a proposal to host the 2026 sliding events, which include bobsled, skeleton, and luge.

American, German, Austrian, and Swiss Olympic committees have been contacted to serve as potential sliding hosts if necessary. If Lake Placid ends up holding Olympic events, medal ceremonies could be held in New York City to honor winners on an even grander stage.

Holding some of the Milan-Cortina events nearly 4,000 miles away would be completely unprecedented for the Olympics. No portion of any edition of the Winter Games has ever been held outside the host country.

Lake Placid’s bid has the full support of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympic Committee, but the logistical challenges of transporting athletes over the Atlantic Ocean could make the European alternative options more feasible.