Branching Out

Cultural events take different forms worldwide, creating a shared bond that remains unique to each people. Coming-of-age celebrations have distinct names and customs across Jewish, Latin American, and Māori communities, but the core idea stays the same. Harvest festivals in the United States, Canada, and India vary in practice, but they celebrate similar themes. Sporting events join this pattern. They, too, take many forms but consistently give fans the same amusement and thrill of competition.

In the United States, sports like football and baseball have become staple “American pastimes,” ingrained in national culture. To many, domestic holiday celebrations would feel incomplete without a big sports game screening. The Super Bowl itself is an unofficial national holiday, consistently dominating as the most-watched U.S. telecast. Sports have become central to American identity. As a result, the three largest American sports (football, baseball, and basketball) are expected to generate $49.1 billion in revenue this season, exceeding estimated worldwide live-music ticket revenue, global box office revenue, and the entire European fútbol market.

Although sports like baseball and basketball have popular leagues in other countries, major American leagues like the NBA, MLB, and NFL have begun expanding internationally, hosting games abroad to reach new markets. Some U.S. fans are less than excited about these changes, as international games often carry major negative implications for domestic supporters and the teams themselves.

This raises key questions. Should these American leagues expand internationally, even if it hurts domestic fans? Does it matter whether the intentions are purely monetary or aimed at growth and accessibility?

The Fan

What is the purpose of professional sports? While some see it as just entertainment, professional sports foster community engagement and bridge divides by offering common ground. Cities and states come together to support their local team, regardless of race, politics, or economic background. A 2026 Harvard Kennedy School study shows that sports reduce partisan animosity among fans. They connect despite their differences through a shared love of a team and the sport.

Fans, as drivers of the market and the community practice of sport, serve an important purpose. As leagues expand internationally, these domestic fans suffer. Supporters face logistical challenges, largely due to time zones. International broadcasts make it harder to watch favorite teams because games start earlier or air on different networks. The NFL has nine international games; two-thirds of them start at 9:30 a.m. ET. The Jacksonville Jaguars play in two of these morning games, including back-to-back contests in London. Instead of watching their team during the typical afternoon blocks, fans must wake up early to cheer them on. While these inconveniences may seem minor, they are still unfair. They demonstrate that international growth is prioritized over domestic fans.

Losing a home game also means losing the traditions and rituals that drive sports’ communal aspect. Tailgates, game-day traditions, and the experience of a packed stadium are what turn a simple game into a community event. Moving games away from the communities they bring together thus undercuts the very purpose that makes them valuable.

The effects do not stop at the stands, however. Players and teams face their own challenges when the season takes them overseas.

The Team

Just as fans benefit from sports, teams benefit from fans. Home-field advantage suggests that the home team, because of familiarity with the field or its fans’ enthusiasm, has an edge over the away team. Studies of Italian fútbol during COVID-19 revealed that both fan presence and the home field itself contributed to an advantage over the away team. Furthermore, fan pressure led referees to rule more often in the home team’s favor. Playing internationally removes this advantage.

International games often require more travel than the season typically demands. Crossing multiple time zones severely disrupts sleep patterns, recovery cycles, and routine preparation, forcing athletes to compete while their internal body clocks lag by hours. Studies show that jet lag reduces players’ performance, especially when traveling eastward. At first glance, this seems fair when both teams have to travel. But what about the games afterward? If one team comes off a bye or has back-to-back home games, it has an unfair advantage because the opponent has to travel farther than usual. Because these international games are not evenly distributed across the league, some teams are simply at a disadvantage.

Moreover, increased travel negatively affects player recovery. In contact-heavy leagues like the NFL, which carry a high risk of injury, longer travel reduces recovery and makes players even more susceptible to injury in the next game. The same is true for MLB, which has 162 games over about six months, and the frequency of games puts significant physical pressure on players. Instead of squeezing extra money from foreign markets, leagues should prioritize player health.

The World

While these costs are real, leagues are not necessarily at fault for seeking international growth. The same logic that makes a home game so sacred is what makes sports worth sharing. If these athletics can bring communities together, why can they not bring people across borders together? Just as the coming-of-age celebrations and harvest festivals described earlier look different across cultures but serve the same purpose, sports can be adapted by new communities and made their own. A fan in London or Mexico City who attends a live game may become a lifelong supporter, bringing the same sense of belonging and shared identity that domestic fans already enjoy.

International games introduce sports to potential fans in a more meaningful way. Instead of only seeing unfamiliar international sports online, more people can actually engage in person. By entering new foreign markets, leagues unlock major revenue streams, generating capital that teams can reinvest in facility development, athlete salaries, and improved domestic fan engagement. So despite greater difficulty and inconvenience for domestic fans and potential challenges for the team, ultimately, international games can improve everyone’s enjoyment.

The biggest concern is intent. Growth, even if financially motivated, can still help create a more connected sporting world. With deliberate, thoughtful scheduling and intentional decisions about where to hold international games, leagues can grow their fan base abroad without hindering the domestic market. The challenge is not whether to expand, but how to do so without forgetting the original fans who fundamentally uphold the sport.

Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) is happy with the Titans’ first win of the season—FTC.