The NFL gives the Rams and Taiwan to China

The NFL seems to be trying its best to follow in the NBA’s footsteps. Today the NFL announced a new initiative aimed at creating international fans for different NFL teams. To do this the NFL has broken down areas of the world where various teams are allowed to market themselves to build an international fan base.

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As part of the International HMA program, clubs will have access to international markets for at least a five-year term, during which a club will have rights to pursue activities in that international market that are consistent with what they can do in their domestic HMA. This includes in-person and digital marketing, corporate sponsorship sales, fan events and activations, youth football activities, merchandise sales and co-marketing relationships with other sports and entertainment properties in the market…

Coupled with the League’s commitment to International Games – all 32 clubs will play at least one international game in the next eight seasons – the League will use its best efforts to ensure
clubs play their international games in their International HMAs, where possible.

Rather than literally spell out where various teams will be allowed to market themselves, the NFL published a map of the globe highlighting the different teams and regions. That’s the full map above.

The Vikings and the Seahawks will be allowed to market themselves in Canada while the Miami Dolphins will be allowed to market themselves in Brazil. Nine different teams will get access to Mexico and six teams will have access to the UK. But pretty quickly my friend Jon Gabriel notice that just one team gets access to China, the LA Rams. And the map appears to show Taiwan as part of China.

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Here’s a closeup:

Others noticed the same thing.

I guess the NFL isn’t interested in strategic ambiguity. They’re giving China the Rams and Taiwan. Just another major American company telling the CCP exactly what it wants to hear. Is there an Enes Kanter Freedom in the NFL willing to say something about this? How will the NFL react if someone does speak up? Will we see a repeat of the NBA kowtowing to China on Hong Kong? This could get interesting pretty quickly.

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Meanwhile, as we wait for the answers to those questions, Stephen Miller noticed another problem:

China and Australia haven’t been getting on well recently so good luck getting them to root for the same team.

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