NFL owners to vote on expanding international schedule and scrapping home game protections
League officials discuss eliminating scheduling safeguards to improve fixture quality, while commissioners prepare for a vote that could hit the current collective bargaining agreement limit.
NFL owners are convening in Orlando this week to vote on a proposal that would add two international matches to the 2027 season, potentially raising the total to 11. If approved, the schedule would reach the maximum limit permitted under the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which caps overseas fixtures at 10 games. This ceiling excludes the Jacksonville Jaguars’ annual match at Wembley Stadium, which operates under separate arrangements.
The vote represents a significant step in the league’s long-term strategy to expand its global footprint. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has previously stated a desire to schedule 16 international games per season, a goal contingent upon the ratification of a new CBA and the potential expansion of the regular season to 18 games. While that target remains in the future, the current proposal aims to utilise the full allowance available under existing terms.
Parallel to the schedule expansion, the league is actively reviewing its policy on home game protections. Historically, teams could protect up to five home games from being moved abroad, a measure that limited the quality of international matchups by shielding marquee fixtures. As of this season, that protection has been reduced to a minimum of two home opponents, down from previous iterations of four or three.
Mike North, the NFL’s vice president of broadcast planning, indicated that the protection policy is likely to diminish further or be eliminated entirely. North noted that the league is engaged in ongoing discussions to remove these safeguards, aiming to deliver higher-quality inventory to international fans and prevent teams from blocking desirable matchups.
The shift in policy is already altering the landscape of overseas fixtures. The Dallas Cowboys, who have only played one international game in franchise history, are set to host the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro this year. With fewer protections in place, the league can prioritise marquee contests for international venues, moving away from the less attractive pairings that characterised early overseas experiments in London since 2007.
