The NFL announces international expansion plans in eight countries

One of Roger Goodell's goals as NFL commissioner is the international expansion of the NFL. Definitively, Goodell’s plan is coming into action as more than half of the league’s teams are expanding globally.

In a press release on Wednesday, the NFL reported that the rights of 26 International Home Marketing Areas programs (IHMA) have been granted to 18 teams across eight different countries.

This initiative, known as IHMA, grants franchises access to international territories to drive NFL fan growth and evolve their global brands through marketing, fan engagement and commercialization.

NFL executive vice president, chief strategy & growth officer Christopher Halpin shared that “this important initiative enables NFL teams to develop meaningful, direct relationships with NFL fans abroad, driving fan growth and avidity globally.”

The league's proposal guarantees the 18 clubs direct access to international markets for a minimum period of five years.

Here are the teams and countries assigned to each other:

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With the approval of the International Committee of the NFL, the 32 teams are required to play a game outside the United States within the next eight years.

While the process to designate venues has not yet been announced, several reports indicate that this proposal will give priority to league matches in Germany, Brazil and China.