Interest in Spain for football and the NFL is clearly rising. The trend feels like a wedding that could happen soon, signaling that the National Football League has started to take root in Spain. Living proof comes from the pandemic period: downloads climbed from under 300,000 per year in 2019 to over a million in 2020, then surged to 2.6 million in 2021, with roughly seven in ten listeners residing in Spain.
The growth is amplified by Movistar, which broadcasts the sport’s rapid expansion and holds rights for the 2024 season. From last season onward, Movistar described the rise as very important, noting sharp gains. One of its narrators and American football specialist, Javi López, shared reflections on the moment: the sport is developing visually in ways that are difficult to replicate in many other sports, and each game has the potential to become the defining moment of the match.
Experts López and Sagasti see fan growth as tightly connected to the availability of online and multimedia tools today, including podcasts and video-on-demand. Knowledge about the game has become global, enabling access to a wide range of content. The NFL’s promoters in Spain, including specialists with deep game insight, are part of the growth equation. Their aim is to entertain while educating, making the sport approachable for newcomers. As Sagasti explains, the group known as 100 Yardas emphasizes fun as a top priority while also helping new fans understand the game.
The influx of fans on Spanish soil is not a novelty for the NFL pursuing a larger footprint. The league has identified Spain as one of its priority markets, seeking to expand the brand of this globally popular sport. The Super Bowl, with its spectacle and global reach, often serves as a magnet for new audiences. In the United States, the championship game regularly attracts massive viewership. Sagasti notes that the commercial side is equally striking: the event generates far higher sales on a single game than major European finals, illustrating the series’ vast commercial potential.
For many, the Super Bowl itself is a powerful draw, a spectacle that lowers barriers and invites more fans to explore the strategic depth of American football. The sport’s complexity becomes approachable as fans gain a better understanding of tactics and player roles. López highlights the balance between speed and strategy, noting that even in a fast, high-energy game, there is room for technique and planning. Sagasti stresses that the NFL’s commitment to Spain is genuine, with ongoing efforts to deepen engagement, including opportunities to observe the league up close. In one notable development, Sagasti was invited to Chicago for a summer event to gain firsthand experience with a franchise and share insights back with the Spanish audience.
All these movements form part of a broader plan to host official match play in a Spanish city in the near future, following models already launched in London and adopted for later events in Munich. The sentiment is clear: the real explosion of American football in Spain will come when a game is staged in the country. If a 2025 announcement confirms a four-year NFL game arrangement in Madrid, or Barcelona, the sport could gain the same momentum as another major league did in Spain, turning a growing fan base into a sustained, passionate community.