A funny thing happened after the NFL canceled its 2020 International Series because of the COVID-19 pandemic: Nearly every data point used to gauge the popularity of pro football overseas -- television ratings, NFL Shop purchases and video streams, to name a few -- grew measurably from 2019. The numbers bolstered an emerging league strategy that has made overseas games a part, but not necessarily the centerpiece, of brand building beyond the continental United States.
The NFL's return to London this weekend, with a Sunday morning matchup between the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, is one of only two International Series games scheduled for 2021.