NFL-U.S. exports 'spirit of America' with global Super Bowl watch parties

By Rory Carroll

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of State will host over 50 Super Bowl watch parties across six continents in support of the league's mission to bring Sunday's championship game to every corner of the globe.

The matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles in New Orleans will be shown at gatherings in countries including Australia, Bolivia, Mongolia, Kuwait, China and more, a U.S. Department of State spokesperson said.

"The Super Bowl captures the spirit of America, where hard work pays off," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Reuters in an email.

"It's a time for fun while watching together with family, friends, and colleagues."

The U.S. government sees major sporting events like the Super Bowl as a powerful diplomatic tool for bolstering the nation's image abroad, while the NFL has made growing its fanbase overseas central to its business strategy.

"Both in the United States and around the world – across homes, restaurants, sports bars, and events like U.S. embassy-hosted watch parties – over one hundred million people tune in each year to watch this annual championship game featuring the top two teams in football," Rubio said.

Rubio, who represented Florida in the U.S. Senate before being confirmed as Secretary of State last month, said he was grateful to the NFL for helping to make the watch parties possible, even as he admitted that there was one thing missing.

"While my hometown Miami Dolphins didn't make the cut this year, I'm excited to watch the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs compete for the NFL's ultimate prize," he said.

INTERNATIONAL GAMES

Key to the NFL's mission of growing as a global sports brand is holding meaningful games abroad.

The NFL held its first regular season game outside the U.S. in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca in 2005 and its first in London two years later at Wembley Stadium.

The momentum has continued since, with the league making its first foray into South America with a sold-out season opener in Sao Paulo in September, and officials have said they expect to return there regularly in years to come.

The NFL announced on Wednesday plans to play its first game in Australia in 2026, where it says it has a growing fanbase of 6.6 million.

Next season, the NFL will hold regular season games in Berlin, Madrid and three contests in London.

NFL is the fastest-growing sport in Britain, with a fanbase that has jumped 49% since 2021, adding an additional 2.8 million new fans over that time period, according to Nielsen Sports.

Last year's Super Bowl drew a record 62.5 million viewers outside of the U.S., confirming that the NFL is making progress in its push to grow its presence around the world.

Two Christmas Day games streamed on Netflix for the first time saw viewers from 218 countries and territories tune in to at least one of the contests.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated his global ambitions to reporters at the beginning of Super Bowl week, saying he believed it was realistic that the NFL title game might one day be played internationally.

"I do think there's potential that someday we're going to have an international franchise. And if we do, I think it would not surprise me at all," said Goodell.

"Being here in New Orleans, it's a great thing for the New Orleans Saints to be the host of the Super Bowl and have the world's attention.

"And I think the same would be true if we had an international franchise to be able to play a Super Bowl there to support that franchise."

(Additional reporting by Amy Tennery, editing by Ed Osmond)