Sports agent Leigh Steinberg says Super Bowl can’t go overseas
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It’s no secret that one of the NFL’s top priorities is continuing to develop its brand around the world.
But with the addition of more international games in different countries in 2026, including the NFL season kicking off on Wednesday in Melbourne, Australia (which will technically be a Thursday for Aussies), the question must be asked: Will the Super Bowl go overseas?
Legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg can’t see it coming, despite all the international momentum.
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Wide view of the play in the first half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. (Images by Peter van den Berg-Imagn)
“The Super Bowl has become an American tradition,” Steinberg told Fox News Digital during a recent phone interview. “So it’s not just an entertainment event, it’s a cultural event. Big business, big politics, big entertainment and big sports are coming together in the city, along with the fans. I think it’s going to be hard to take that abroad.”
The first regular season game in the NFL’s history was in 2005, when the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers traveled to Mexico City to play. But two years later, the league launched the “International Series” between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London, England, kicking off an effort to continue bringing NFL games to overseas fans.
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Of course, every league wants to expand its reach, and the NFL has done a tremendous job of scheduling more games throughout the year while engaging with those fans in different ways through the NFL Draft or other events.
In 2026, nine international regular season matches will be played in four different continents and seven different locations, reaching a record level.
Leigh Steinberg attended the 39th Annual Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party held at Storek on February 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
Apart from Melbourne and London, where three matches will be played, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid and Mexico City will also host the NFL in 2026.
But as fans continue to consume these games, with some marking their calendars to travel to watch their favorite teams, are the teams enjoying it too?
“They have mixed feelings,” Steinberg said. “They actually like the traveling part of it, seeing different cultures and other things. But it comes at a physical cost. So flying [the West Coast] It takes 12 hours to London. Then you have 14 hours to fly back. Once you start moving east in Europe, it takes longer than that. So it requires a physical price.
“I think if you ask the coaches, they don’t like international matches because it takes them out of the routine and the schedule.”
Steinberg believes more research is needed into the effects of jetlag and travel on the human body and whether this also affects the quality of play.
There’s no stopping the league’s global pressure, but will there come a point where players and coaches simply won’t be able to cope, especially in a difficult season?
STEINBERG’S RETURN
While talking about all things football, Steinberg also talked about life and how his struggles with adversity led him to write “Comeback: A Playbook for Turning Life’s Setbacks into Victories.”
Leigh Steinberg speaks on stage during the 39th Annual Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party at Storek on February 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
Steinberg had built an empire representing the world’s best athletes, but he also struggled with alcoholism and financial troubles, eventually hitting rock bottom. But he rebuilt himself through those difficult times, and with this book he hopes to help others do the same.
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Steinberg, who also shares the stories of athletes struggling with similar difficulties, believes that all readers should learn from this lesson.
“Introspection,” he said. “A realistic understanding of your own values and priorities, whether it’s short-term economic gain, long-term economic security, spiritual values, family. It’s having internal clarity about what truly constitutes a fulfilling life. Then making a plan to get back to that.”
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