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"Basically the entire world is getting access
to the Super Bowl," NFL Executive Vice President Peter O'Reilly
told Reuters.
"It's a galvanizing event that brings together those avid fans
who are going to watch it at 2 a.m. in Ghana and the casual fan
in Australia who may just be coming to our sport but will have
the opportunity to experience it and learn the game."
Sports diplomacy is reaching new heights with U.S. embassies
hosting watch parties everywhere from Chile and Cyprus to
Rwanda, Turkmenistan and beyond.
"The NFL's Super Bowl is a unique opportunity to share American
culture with the world," a State Department spokesperson said.
"The U.S. Department of State has collaborated with the NFL to
host Super Bowl LVIII watch parties in over 30 locations in
countries around the world."
The NFL on Friday continued to push into new markets by
announcing it will play a first regular season game in Spain in
2025 at soccer side Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
The league previously announced that it will also venture into
South America for the first time next season with a game in Sao
Paulo, Brazil.
Sao Paulo will be one of five international games next season
along with three in London and one in Munich. NFL clubs have
agreed to hold up to eight overseas games in 2025.
"We always want to raise the bar, and we're growing in
popularity in all of those markets," O'Reilly said.
The NFL is also pushing hard to raise the profile of flag
football, a discipline of the sport that is easier to access.
Flag football requires little protective equipment, with play
stopping when a defender pulls a flag from the waist of an
opponent, and is set to make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in
2028.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Christian
Radnedge)
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