This week, we are looking at the career of wantaway Neymar, who is now sentenced to another six months playing for PSG. Has he blown his chance of being the best in the world? Then, we look at Palmeiras, the reigning national champions and their overly demanding fans. Finally, with the kickoff of the NFL season, we analyze the popularity of the sport in Brazil. Happy reading!
How the NFL became popular in Brazil
Far from having the worldwide popularity of association football, gridiron American football has nevertheless gained ground internationally. And Brazil—a country so associated with “soccer”—has all of a sudden become the third-biggest fanbase for the U.S.’ National Football League (NFL). Only Mexico and the U.S. have more aficionados of the sport than Brazil, according to a study by Global Web Index.
It wasn’t an obvious path, though.
Despite its century-long tradition (the NFL has just kicked off its 100th season this weekend), the first game ever broadcast in Brazil happened in 1969, and it wasn’t live. The sport would be featured on Brazilian TV again only in the late 1980s, and during graveyard hours. ESPN Brazil began featuring big NFL games from 1992—and the league slowly grew as an important regular feature of paid-for-TV. According to ESPN, viewership of Super Bowl LIII, played on February 3, rose 40 percent from the previous year—and was even broadcast live at 110 movie theaters.
The NFL, however, still doesn’t threaten more traditional sports. Per sports consultant Amir Somoggi, the highly-specific rules act as a barrier.
American football in Brazil
There are at least 130 NFL-inspired teams (mostly amateur, with an average roster made up of 60 players) in Brazil, according to the national confederation of the sport. However, traditional clubs have invested in the sport, bringing players from less-prestigious leagues in the U.S.
The first nationwide tournament was held in 2009. Created by a former ESPN commentator, the Touchdown Tournament was an eight-team league that, despite its small size, drew some media buzz and investors. Among these investors was Luís Cláudio Lula da Silva, son of former president Lula. The league would die six years later, after a Federal Police raid (investigators thought Mr. Silva used the tournament as a front to launder money). Today, a 32-team spin-off league still exists.
The NFL in Brazil
Since 2007, the NFL has played games abroad—with regular showings in London and now Mexico City. São Paulo could come next, according to Akash Jain, the NFL vice president of international commercial development. The league has scouted stadiums, and if a deal goes through, an NFL regular-season game could be coming to the Arena Corinthians.
Brazil in the NFL
In 100 seasons of NFL football, only one Brazilian player has ever taken a snap. That is placekicker Cairo Santos, who now plays for the Tennessee Titans (after stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers). He had a good season start, hitting all attempts as his Titans trashed the Cleveland Browns 43-13.
Dispensado pelos Bucs semana passada e contratado pelos @Titans esta semana, o kicker brasileiro Cairo...
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