The National Football League (NFL) has announced that its week ten meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins in Germany was the most-watched International game on NFL Network in the US since records began.
The game, a part of the league’s annual NFL International Series, took place in Frankfurt and drew a combined average viewership of 9.6 million in the US.
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That number includes both TV audiences for the game, which was broadcast on the NFL’s own NFL Network in the US, and the NFL’s various digital streaming options such as NFL+.
The 9.6 million average is the highest tally for an NFL Network broadcast of an NFL International Series game since the service began, while the average minute audience (AMA) on digital streaming alone, 465,000, is another record for AMA on NFL digital platforms.
NFL International Series games typically notch fewer viewers than regular US-based games as the European time zones mean the events take place in an undesirable morning slot for a number of key markets in the US.
The international games broadcast on NFL Network in 2023, though, have fared far better than the 2022 slate.
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By GlobalDataThe NFL revealed that viewership of the game between the Chiefs and the Dolphins saw a 66% increase on viewership when compared to the equivalent week 10 international fixture, while the 2023 International Series as a whole so far has averaged 6.5 million viewers, up 20% on 2022’s slate.
This news of rising US interest in the International Series, likely driven by the surging popularity of the Kansas City Chiefs, has come in the wake of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirming that the league will stage a further regular season game in a new country in 2024.
Spain and Brazil are expected to be the frontrunners and Goodell revealed a decision is imminent.
He told UK media outlet Sky Sports: “We're looking and analyzing where we go next year. We will certainly go to a new market next year for sure.
“We're debating on that, and I think we'll have a decision in the next 30-45 days … I think that'll be exciting for us.”
The NFL has played three regular-season games in London, UK, and two in Frankfurt this season, while Mexico has also hosted games on and off since 2016.
The Miami Dolphins currently have rights to market in both Spain and Brazil as part of the league’s global marketing program. The Chicago Bears also have rights in Spain.
