For decades, the Madden series has been football’s headline act in video games. Not only has it made its developers, Electronic Arts, a fair slab of cash, but it’s also enabled the NFL to reach overseas fans in an accessible way. After all, not many countries in the world see their time zones align particularly well with NFL kick-off times.
With the expansion into College Football, EA Sports found a new gem. Even while net revenues sink for the colossal company, it has been able to look to Madden and College Football to generate more microtransaction sales to bounce back.
EA certainly dominates the official and licensed space for football in games, but other developers have been able to help grow a fascination with the sport through a diversified offering. This, perhaps coupled with the NFL playing overseas seven times in 2025 – playing in five different countries – is helping to sport to reach a wider audience.
A Ever-Popular Release in the US
It won’t come as a surprise that the official football games that revolve around two US competitions of the sport and have a very small footprint beyond the US sell the best in the US. In July 2025, $4.48 billion was spent on video games in the US, with the best-selling paid game being College Football 26.
That game immediately became the year’s third-best-selling game of the year in the US to that point. College Football 26 launched on July 10. In August, US football fans dove into yet another full-priced game based around the sport. On August 14, Madden NFL 26 hit the shelves, reportedly selling 1.4 million units in its first 24 hours.
Americans remain the core audience for the sport and its tie-in video games. However, the overseas fans are beginning to show up in this arena. Significantly, in the UK, Madden landed 16th and was the only new entry to the top 40 games in the week of its release. Then, there are the popular football-themed games on the rise.
Adapting Football Across Gaming
Officially licensed NFL and NCAA video games aren’t the only ways the sport is reaching new audiences through this medium. Even without those massive US brands, the sport has been connecting to fans elsewhere in the world. One example can be found in the online casino sector.
Loaded with touchdowns, trophies, and wild multipliers, Gridiron Legends X UP can be found on a bingo app. The online slot combines the biggest plays of the sport with big-win features to embody the most entertaining events in an NFL or college football game.
This year, however, the potential headline act barrelling towards a December 10 release is Mutant Football League 2. A sequel to the cult hit released in 2017, once again, it’s advertising itself as an “over-the-top anti-Madden. It infuses fantasy elements and absurd actions, but all within the core rules of the sport.
Already running riot, and even assisting players in getting to grips with the tabletop miniatures game, is Blood Bowl III. A Warhammer game series, there were rumors that a fourth installment may land with the new edition of Warhammer Blood Bowl. Instead, the game will evolve for free alongside the new tabletop game set.
All these games have proven to have huge appeal in markets beyond the US, and at the same time, the NFL is bringing more regular-season games to international audiences. Together, they’re making the sport more accessible and more popular beyond North America.