MELBOURNE, Australia — The NFL is making history this week with its first-ever regular-season game in Australia, but Commissioner Roger Goodell is already thinking well into the future.
“Whether it’s media, or whether it’s labor, or whether it’s our international plans or what we’re doing with stadiums, all of that [requires] taking a 5-, 10-, 15-year look, and it’s critical to do that,” Goodell said in an exclusive interview with CNBC here ahead of the Week 1 game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, set to kick off Thursday night at 8:35 pm ET.
“If you’re not, you’re being irresponsible,” he added.
Earlier this month, Goodell, 67, signed a four-year contract extension that will keep him as the league’s commissioner until March 2031. This year marks Goodell’s 20th season on the job.
He has overseen significant growth and change for the most popular U.S. sports league, including the addition of a 17th regular…
