Media personalities Megyn Kelly and Dave Portnoy have voiced strong criticism regarding NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's remarks about the potential for the Super Bowl to be played outside the United States.
Kelly, host of SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show,” stated Friday that hosting the Super Bowl abroad would be akin to “celebrating July 4th in England.” She argued that football is a fundamentally American sport, conceived and supported by American cities, and questioned the rationale of moving its most significant event and associated revenue away from a U.S. host city.
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, echoed these sentiments during an appearance on Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.” Portnoy described the prospect as a good idea for owners seeking growth but detrimental to fans, citing potential issues with travel, time zone differences for games, and player disruption. He acknowledged the business imperative for the league to expand into new markets but asserted that the overseas games are of lower quality and that the focus is solely on increasing profits.
Goodell's comments this week indicated that the NFL will eventually have teams based outside the U.S. and that international cities could host a Super Bowl, ideally after establishing an NFL team in that location. This aligns with the league's increasing international expansion efforts.
The NFL is scheduled to play a record nine regular-season games internationally across four continents, seven countries, and eight stadiums in the 2026 season. NFL owners have previously approved expanding the number of international games to up to 10 per season beyond 2026, with Goodell setting a long-term goal of 16 international games annually, one for each team.
Historically, Goodell’s stance on an international Super Bowl has evolved. In 2018, he suggested that hosting the championship game was partly a reward for U.S. cities with NFL franchises and that London would be a challenging venue without a home team. By 2024, however, Goodell indicated that the tradition of holding the Super Bowl in NFL cities could change and that he would not be surprised by an international Super Bowl.
London is the NFL’s most established international market, with over 3 million attendees at regular-season games since 2007 and an estimated 17 million fans in the UK. However, moving the Super Bowl overseas presents broadcast challenges for the U.S. television audience. A traditional 6:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff would translate to 11:30 p.m. in London and 12:30 a.m. Monday in Paris and Madrid. Games in Mexico City or Rio de Janeiro would align better with U.S. viewing times.
Portnoy also dismissed the notion that Goodell deserves credit for the NFL's growth, characterizing the league as the “most dominant product in the United States” and suggesting that its expansion is an obvious business move that requires no special genius.
Goodell has been approached for comment on the matter.