The first free global live stream of an NFL game drew a worldwide audience of 15.2 million across 185 countries, the NFL and partner Yahoo said Monday.

Sunday's game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London was the first time gridiron fans could watch a match for free without cable, authentication or TV, a statement said.

The broadcast drew a total of 33.6 million views while more than more 15.2 million unique viewers tuned in, the statement said.

Thirty-three percent of the live streams came from international viewers across 185 countries worldwide.

"We're thrilled with the results of our initial step distributing an NFL game to a worldwide audience and with the work of our partner, Yahoo," said senior NFL official Hans Schroeder.

"We are incredibly excited by the fact that we took a game that would have been viewed by a relatively limited television audience in the United States and by distributing it digitally were able to attract a global audience of over 15 million viewers."

The digital broadcast comes as the NFL increasingly looks towards international markets to broaden the sports appeal.

The league already stages several regular season fixtures in London each year and is exploring the possibility of holding a match in Mexico according to recent reports.