September 6, 2024

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The NFL season kicked off with a bang Thursday night, as Taylor Swift was in attendance to watch the Chiefs edge the Ravens in a nail-biter that came down to the final play. And tonight, action resumes in São Paulo, Brazil—a unique place for an NFL game. We explain why the league is playing a premier matchup there, and get into some of the issues it faces as a result.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Brazil Debut: NFL Expands Globally Despite Player Concerns [[link removed]]

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The NFL’s first game in Brazil, set for Friday in São Paulo between the Eagles and Packers, is breaking new ground on multiple fronts. But the event’s uniqueness will likely help usher in new norms for the league.

The prime-time contest, to be streamed exclusively on Peacock, is aimed in large part at tapping into what the NFL describes as fast-growing fandom for American football in South America, and is a highlight of the league’s overall slate of five international games in 2024. But many of the special characteristics of the Green Bay–Philadelphia contest are also designed as the beginning of much larger initiatives for the NFL and its partners. Among them:

The locale: Contemplated for some time [[link removed]], the Brazil game moves materially beyond the NFL’s prior international efforts focused mainly in continental Europe, where it has been actively working to develop fandom in various forms since the 1980s. Even before this Packers-Eagles game is played, commissioner Roger Goodell wanted to do more in the country. He’s not alone as the Dolphins and Patriots hold rights in Brazil, where soccer normally dominates, as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program [[link removed]]. Brazil has more than 210 million people and the world’s eighth-largest economy. “This is sort of like the spark that just creates the fire,” Goodell said this week on The Pat McAfee Show. “We really are focused on becoming a global game.” The date: The unusual slotting of an NFL game on a Friday takes advantage of a loophole in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 [[link removed]], a federal law protecting high school and college football games between the second Friday of September and second Saturday in December each year. As the league continues to grow more creative in placing games on its schedule [[link removed]], as seen with the Christmas Day doubleheader on a Wednesday [[link removed]] this year, similar workarounds for early-September Fridays are a possibility in future years. The broadcaster: The Brazil game will be just the third NFL exclusive on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service. It’s highly unlikely the average viewership will top the U.S. streaming record of 23 million set by Peacock in January [[link removed]] with an NFL wild-card game. But a solid number is expected, and NBCU and parent company Comcast are enjoying a big dose of momentum with Peacock after the platform’s significant role in banner ratings from the recent Paris Olympics [[link removed]]. Brazilian Disturbances

There have been some concerns surrounding the upcoming game, including a debunked uniform color issue [[link removed]] and the ongoing battle between a Brazilian court and X owner Elon Musk [[link removed]]. Most recently, São Paulo security was tightened after players on both teams voiced concerns.

“I’m like, ‘NFL why y’all wanna send us somewhere where the crime rate is this high and we out the country,’” Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. said on his Big Play Slay podcast. “You know, the first thing people are thinking is like some terror could possibly happen. I told my family do not come down there because I’m not going to be nowhere to be found.”

Slay later apologized for those remarks. [[link removed]]

EVENT

Front Office Sports’ inaugural Tuned In sports media summit will come to life Sept. 10 as a one-day event in New York City. Led in part by senior media reporter Mike McCarthy, this event will feature intimate discussions with leaders from ESPN, NBC, YouTube, Roku, and more—as well as the most recent confirmed guest, Stephen A. Smith.

Register now [[link removed]].

Why NFL+ Isn’t Part of Football’s Streaming Wars [[link removed]]

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As the NFL dives deeper into exclusively streamed game broadcasts, the league is holding back on adding its own service to the party.

Beginning with Friday night’s Packers-Eagles contest in Brazil on Peacock, a record four platforms will exclusively stream NFL games this season [[link removed]], including Amazon Prime Video, ESPN+, and Netflix—but not NFL+, the league-owned subscription service available on smartphones and tablets that is entering its third season since launching in 2022.

Fans can watch local and prime-time games on NFL+, as well as NFL RedZone, and programming on NFL Network, which has seven exclusive game broadcasts this season. In a world where Netflix can acquire Christmas Day games [[link removed]] during the league’s $110 billion media-rights deals with CBS, Fox, ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, would it really be shocking if the league decides to turn an NFL Network game into an NFL+ game one season?

NFL VP and head of business strategy Gil Moran tells Front Office Sports that the league isn’t looking to disrupt its live-game partners, but admits that media strategy is always fluid. “We are constantly looking and evaluating how NFL+ can be a better product,” Moran says. “And as things come up—and even if rights come up—we can evaluate that. But currently, I think we’re all pretty happy with how things are with our partners and the rest of the ecosystem.”

Moran’s comments echo ones made earlier this year by NFL EVP of media distribution Hans Schroeder, who said the league likes to “ keep some of our inventory to deploy strategically [[link removed]].”

Moving the Chains

NFL+ is “well into the millions of subscribers,” Moran says, and adds that it ended the preseason with more paid users than it had entering the previous two regular seasons.

There was no price increase this season, after a major hike between Years 1 and 2. Last fall, the monthly cost of the base version of NFL+ jumped 40% to $6.99, and 50% to $14.99 for the premium version. The service’s big addition this season is NFL Pro, which combines All-22 coaches’ film—popular among football diehards—and Next Gen Stats.

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Family Game Night With Napheesa Collier

Behind every great athlete is a dedicated team that turns personal aspirations into collective triumphs. From coaches and mentors to family and friends, this support system plays a crucial role in an athlete’s success. That’s the power of us [[link removed]].

Since winning the 2019 Rookie of the Year, Napheesa Collier has gained invaluable life and financial wisdom. In just a few short years, Phee has navigated several major milestones: winning multiple gold medals, getting married, signing a three-year pro contract, becoming a mother, playing overseas, and launching a new business venture. Through it all, her family has been a steadfast support system, guiding her to success on and off the court.

Learn more about Napheesa’s Untold Team [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Drew Brees, Dexter Lawrence Talk NFL Changes

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The NFL is rolling out big changes this season, including revamped kickoff rules and a ban on the hip-drop tackle. Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II and Saints legend Drew Brees join the show to discuss how the league is emphasizing player safety and what keeps them busy off the field.

Plus, Memphis dismissed four staff members from its basketball team, the Big 12 is putting its expansion talks with UConn on hold, soccer star Alex Morgan is retiring, and Tom Brady makes his highly anticipated broadcasting debut Sunday in Cleveland.

Watch, listen, and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

ONE BIG FIG Return on Investment?

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$12 million

Florida State’s NIL (name, image, and likeness) budget [[link removed]] for the 2023–2024 season, according to The Athletic. Despite the figure, the Seminoles, who went undefeated last year and entered this season ranked No. 10, have fallen to 0–2, including Monday’s 28–13 loss to Boston College.

Ohio State is spending significantly more than the Seminoles at $20 million, but Miami, the Seminoles’ ACC rivals who started the season off with a stunning 41–17 win over Florida, spent $10 million.

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Tee Off With Taste at the TOUR Championship

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This year’s TOUR Championship in Atlanta wasn’t just about world-class golf—it was also a celebration of local flavors [[link removed]].

Mastercard’s Foodies & Fairways [[link removed]] program in partnership with Capital One Business highlights the city’s dynamic culinary scene, featuring small businesses like Guacamole by Freddie, and T’s Coffee & Brews. This unique experience offered fans a chance to savor the city’s best while witnessing top golfers in action.

With mentorships and $10,000 grants on the line, these businesses showcased their creations at The Landing, adding a delicious twist to the championship experience. Plus, get the scoop on other local East Lake staples like Poor Hendrix.

Learn more [[link removed]] about Mastercard’s Foodies & Fairways and the fusion of sport and cuisine by signing up for the Mastercard Small Business Community [[link removed]] to access the latest resources and support to protect, manage, and grow your business.

Conversation Starters Netflix released a trailer for its six-part docuseries on the rise and fall of estranged WWE founder Vince McMahon. Check it out [[link removed]]. While Ja’Marr Chase has yet to sign an extension, the list of highest-paid wide receivers [[link removed]] is topped by Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb, both of whom received their extensions over the summer. NBA icon Magic Johnson, already a part-owner of sports teams like the NFL’s Commanders and WNBA’s Sparks, is joining the ownership group of the NWSL’s Washington Spirit. [[link removed]] Editors’ Picks ESPN Defends AI Game Coverage Amid Backlash [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The articles will begin to appear starting Friday. Big 12 Commissioner: Talks to Add UConn to Conference ‘Paused’ [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]The Big 12 schools ultimately convinced Yormark to halt conversations, a source tells FOS. Alex Morgan to Retire After Reshaping U.S. Women’s Soccer [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Morgan was one of U.S. soccer’s most recognizable and marketable players. Question of the Day

Will the NFL return to Brazil after Friday’s game or be one-and-done?

YES [[link removed]] NO [[link removed]]

Thursday’s result: 23% of respondents think the Chiefs will win a third consecutive Super Bowl.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]], Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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