The National Football League is the premier professional organization for American football, with 32 teams in two conferences and almost 1,700 active players. In 2024, the NFL generated nearly $23B in revenue. With its teams valued at $190B combined, it is the most valuable sports league in the world.

American football began as a hybrid of soccer and rugby on post-Civil War college campuses. Football was wildly popular but disorganized in the early 1900s. In an effort to standardize and organize, the National Football League was formed in 1920 in Canton, Ohio.

The NFL’s popularity has made it a global sport. In 2002, the NFL began featuring fantasy games on its site, tapping into what is now a $20B industry.