How NFL used AI & analytics technology to create the 2026 international, prime-time schedules
The NFL relied on AI and analytics to craft the 272-game schedule for the 2026 season. It was a massive undertaking.
How NFL used AI & analytics technology to create the 2026 international, prime-time schedules originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Everything the NFL does seems to be meticulously planned out months or even years in advance, from Super Bowl dates and locations to the annual draft.
The schedule is one major exception. The league typically doesn't announce when the schedule will be released until just a few days before the reveal, leaving fans in the dark until about mid-May, when the spectacle that has become the schedule release takes place. The NFL doesn't wait so long to announce a date just for fun.
The league combs through large amounts of data to determine which games should be played in which windows, from early Sunday afternoon kickoffs to Thanksgiving and Christmas schedules and beyond.. As the league continues to expand its international slate, finding the right balance for all 32 teams is becoming even more of a science. AI is helping the NFL sort through it all.
Here's a closer look at how the NFL relies on AI and analytics to build out its 272-game schedule. MORE: Tracking 2026 NFL schedule leaks How many international games are on the NFL schedule? The 2026 NFL season will feature a record nine international games, split between the following seven cities: London, England (3 games) Melbourne, Australia Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Paris, France Madrid, Spain Munich, Germany Mexico City, Mexico With about half of the league playing an international game (the Jaguars will play two), the schedule has become even more complex to create.
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