Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
On Sunday, the NFL will play its 29th regular-season game in London. And for the 29th straight time, it will not feature two winning teams (1-3 Jets vs. 1-3 Falcons).
Think about that: The NFL has been going to London since 2007 — the same year the first iPhone debuted — and it has yet to put two winning teams on the field together.
- This is partly due to bad luck, with games that looked good on paper becoming less appealing by the time the teams took the field.
- It also doesn't help that the Jaguars — perennial losers — have played a London game every season since 2013 (except for 2020, when the London games were canceled).
The big picture: The NFL has been making moves recently to expand its global footprint beyond London and Mexico City (host since 2016).
- It will hold an international combine in London next week, with plans for future combines in Mexico and sub-Saharan Africa, per The Athletic (subscription).
- The league is also eyeing Germany — an American football hotbed of sorts — as a host for future games, and teams will soon be granted exclusive commercial access to international markets.
- All this to say: If the NFL is serious about global expansion, it should probably schedule better matchups overseas for that audience — even if it angers U.S. fans who can't attend.
What's next: This absurd streak will hit 30 straight next week when the Dolphins (currently 1-3) play the Jaguars (currently 0-4).
Go deeper: Full list of London games (Twitter)