One of the NFL's most legendary agents made his feelings perfectly clear on whether the Super Bowl should ever be played overseas
12:33 ET, 23 Mar 2026
A legendary NFL agent weighed in on whether the Super Bowl should ever go overseas
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A legendary NFL agent weighed in on whether the Super Bowl should ever go overseas(Image: Getty)
Leigh Steinberg, the legendary sports agent who has represented over 300 professional athletes and negotiated more than $3 billion in contracts, has delivered a clear and definitive verdict on the idea of taking the Super Bowl overseas, and he is not buying it.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Steinberg pulled no punches on the subject as the NFL continues to expand its international footprint at a record pace.
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"The Super Bowl has become a convention of Americana," he said. "So, it's not just an entertainment event — it's a cultural event. Big business, big politics, big entertainment and big sports, along with fans, all coalesce in the city. To take that overseas, I think would be difficult." Meanwhile, Rick Pitino sent a chilling warning to Duke after waiting 34 years for revenge.
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The comments carry significant weight coming from a man who has spent five decades at the heart of professional football.
Steinberg, who is credited as the real-life inspiration for the sports agent portrayed in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire and has represented a record eight number one overall NFL draft picks, understands the business of the sport as well as anyone alive.
His skepticism about an overseas Super Bowl is rooted not in opposition to the league's global ambitions, but in a clear-eyed assessment of what the game has come to represent in American culture.
Leigh Steinberg has negotiated more than $3 billion in contracts
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Leigh Steinberg has negotiated more than $3 billion in contracts(Image: Getty)
That global push is undeniable. In 2026, the NFL will play a record nine international regular-season games across four continents and seven locations, including London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid, Mexico City and Melbourne, where the season is set to kick off on a Wednesday.
The league has come a long way since its first overseas regular-season game in 2005, when the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers traveled to Mexico City, and since the International Series launched at Wembley Stadium in London two years later.
Steinberg acknowledges that players have mixed feelings about international travel. "They actually like the travel aspect of it, seeing different cultures and other things," he said.
The NFL played a regular-season game in Brazil during the 2025 season
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The NFL played a regular-season game in Brazil during the 2025 season(Image: Getty)
"But it takes a physical toll. I mean, to fly from the West Coast to London is 12 hours. Then, to fly back, it's 14 hours. When you start moving east in Europe, it gets longer than that. So, it takes a physical toll. I think that if you ask the coaches, they don't love international games, because it takes them out of the routine and schedule."
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He believes more research is needed into the effects of jetlag and long-haul travel on player performance before the league pushes further in that direction.
Steinberg's comments on the Super Bowl come alongside a separate observation about the state of NFL ticket prices domestically. He has proposed that every team reserve around 10,000 seats per game for working families and younger fans, arguing that the league must invest in its future audience.
"I used to go to Rams games in the Coliseum back in the '50s and you would've needed a telescope," he said. "But you still create an interest in football. That's what I would do if I owned a team."