NFL international – The NFL’s push into European Sunday morning slots is meeting a lukewarm audience reception compared to domestic windows as league expansion plans loom.
The empty living rooms during the Colts-Commanders London clash in Week 4 told a story of a league still searching for its footing in the early morning sun. When the final Nielsen data arrived. the broadcast averaged 4.987 million viewers on NFL Network—a figure that sits well below the gravitational pull of the NFL’s traditional Sunday afternoon and primetime windows.
This audience size trails the 6.2 million average seen across the six Sunday morning international games aired on NFL Network in 2025. While the league categorizes these morning broadcasts as bonus viewership meant to capture eyeballs that would otherwise be lost in the afternoon cluster of games. the numbers highlight the persistent gap between the NFL’s global ambitions and domestic viewing habits.
Despite the tepid reception for the Colts-Commanders game, the league is doubling down on its overseas strategy. The schedule rolls on this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET as the Eagles take on the Jaguars. Following that. the focus shifts to London for Texans-Jaguars in Week 6. before moving to Paris for a Steelers-Saints matchup. Madrid for Falcons-Bengals. and finally. a German finale between the Patriots and Lions in Week 10.
This expansion is not just about these specific contests; it is a preview of a larger logistical shift. The NFL is actively pushing to raise the cap on international games from 10 to 16 per season. Should that change go into effect. the Sunday morning slot will shift from a specialty experiment to a permanent. recurring feature of the league’s weekly inventory. regardless of whether the audience numbers remain stagnant.
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