Move Elevate

The National Football League may be on the brink of its most dramatic transformation in decades. Billionaire owner Robert Kraft has outlined an ambitious roadmap that could redefine how and where America’s most popular sport is played. At the center of the proposal: an expanded 18-game regular season and an aggressive push into international markets.

With Super Bowl LX approaching, the timing of Kraft’s comments has intensified league-wide debate.

The Push for an 18-Game Season

The NFL has already stretched its calendar from 16 to 17 games, and Kraft believes another expansion is inevitable. From an ownership perspective, the logic is clear: more games mean more broadcast revenue, increased ticket sales, and higher engagement across digital platforms.

However, the proposal is far from universally popular. Players and the NFL Players Association have raised concerns about player safety, injury risk, and career longevity. Kraft has acknowledged these concerns, suggesting that roster expansion and revised compensation models would need to accompany any schedule change.

Football Without Borders

Perhaps the most transformative part of Kraft’s vision is the league’s global ambition. The NFL has already seen success with games in London and Germany, but this plan goes much further with potential matchups in Europe, Asia, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico.

Kraft argues that international growth is not just a revenue play, but a long-term survival strategy. As younger audiences consume sports differently, the NFL wants to position itself as a global entertainment brand rather than a purely American league.

A League Divided

Fans remain split. Some welcome the idea of global exposure and fresh matchups, while others worry that tradition is being sacrificed for profit. There are also logistical challenges: travel fatigue, time zone complications, and the impact on competitive balance.

Still, the league’s leadership believes the upside outweighs the risks especially as international fan bases continue to grow at a rapid pace.

Super Bowl LX and What Comes Next

As Super Bowl LX draws closer, Kraft’s comments feel less like speculation and more like a preview of what’s coming. Any changes would require collective bargaining approval, but momentum appears to be building behind a larger, louder, and more global NFL.

If implemented, these moves could reshape the sport for generations turning the NFL into a year-round, worldwide spectacle unlike anything the league has attempted before.

Whether fans embrace the changes or resist them, one thing is clear: the NFL’s future may look very different from its past.