The Philadelphia Eagles flew across the Atlantic to play a "home" game for the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday, and if you're an American fan who wants to watch, the NFL would like you to sign up for a streaming service — or wake up at 6:30 a.m. Pacific.
This is the deal now. The NFL has been exporting regular-season games to international cities for nearly two decades, and the Jaguars in particular have practically set up a satellite office at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Yahoo Sports noted that Trevor Lawrence made his eighth London start in Week 5. Eight. That's nearly half a season's worth of games yanked from Jacksonville and shipped overseas so the league can grow its brand in a market that already has its own football — the kind you play with your feet.
Billboard laid out the viewing reality for cord-cutters: NFL Network carries the broadcast, while streaming is available on ESPN Unlimited. If you don't have cable, you're funneled into DirecTV ($59.99 the first month, $89.99 after), Sling TV ($54.99), Fubo ($63.99 rising to $88.99), or Hulu + Live TV. All dangle short free trials to hook you into recurring charges. The league that once broadcast games free over the air now nests its product behind subscription walls — and for a game that kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, no less.
Meanwhile, the Eagles arrived in London gutted. All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson retired. Offensive lineman Cam Jurgens was traded. Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith sat with injuries. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was ejected in the first quarter after a scuffle, per the Mechanicsburg Patriot News and NJ.com. Philadelphia entered as eight-point underdogs against a 3-1 Jaguars squad clicking under head coach Liam Coen. Sports Illustrated framed it as an opportunity for Jacksonville's defensive line — particularly Arik Armstead — to feast on a decimated Eagles front. The game was a mismatch before the opening kickoff returned for a touchdown was wiped out by penalties.
And the halftime show? Nigerian Afrobeat singer Ayra Starr became the first Afrobeat artist and first Nigerian to headline an NFL halftime, according to Billboard. The NFL is clearly marketing to someone, and it isn't the season-ticket holder in North Philly or the tailgater off I-95.
Billboard also noted the league has expanded regular-season games to Rio, Mexico City, Melbourne, Berlin, and Dublin. Every one of those contests is a home game stolen from an American city — a city whose taxpayers likely helped fund the stadium the team plays in 95% of the time.
Follow the money. International games mean international broadcast deals, international sponsorships, and international merchandise. The NFL's 32 owners split that revenue evenly. The fan in Jacksonville who loses a home game eight times over a few seasons subsidizes the league's global expansion whether he likes it or not.
The question isn't whether the NFL can play games in London. It's whether the fans who built the league into a $20 billion enterprise will ever get a say in how many of their games get taken from them — and how much they'll have to pay just to watch what's left.
