The Jacksonville Jaguars will host their ninth game in London in the NFL’s early warm-up on Sunday when they face Dancer broncos at Wembley Stadium (Live stream on ESPN+). It will be the 43rd game to be played outside of the US and is a continuation of a dream that was first tested in Mexico in 2005 and then brought into the uncharted realms of London in 2005. 2007.
The venture has been thrilling and successful – ever since emulated by both the NBA and MLB. This season has been one of the league’s most ambitious, with hosting a regular fixture in Germany for the first time.
As the 2022 International League draws to a close for another successful tournament in London, here are the key questions facing the NFL and its growing European expansion.
Where should the jaguar call home: Wembley or Tottenham?
It was former Giants player Lawrence Tynes, who kicked off his opening game at Wembley in 2007. That moment would mark the awakening of a dream for the NFL. It was the first regular game to be held outside of North America and the beginning of the annual transatlantic voyage. The fact that the first game took place at Wembley Stadium was also somewhat emotional, in the place where some of the most important moments in British cultural history took place – from the 1966 World Cup final, to the match. Queen’s infamous at Live Aid.
So far, it has proven to be successful. Wembley comfortably hosted the first 15 international matches, with English rugby’s home ground, Twickenham Stadium, unused until nine years later – the Giants once again named their arrival NFL, this time against St. Louis Rams in 2016. But recently the league has established a new home in north London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and put simply, it’s much better for America’s national pastime. The stadium can sell every seat in the house without restricting the view. The locker rooms are designed to fit an NFL franchise’s 52-man roster, while Wembley divides them into three adjacent small rooms. Even the press rooms have a more American feel. But that’s all to be expected since the NFL helped fund its construction.
The NFL has hosted two combinations of international players at the stadium and now hosts more games per season than Wembley, where the Jaguars still return to loyalty thanks to the connection with its owners, Shad Kahn, who tried to buy the stadium in 2018 and described it as “home away from home.”
The Jags will return to Wembley every year until 2024. Maybe they should start arguing for a spot at Tottenham. After all, it was built for it.
Where is the demand?
International demand for the NFL has never been higher, and it was born in the numbers. In July, when tickets went on sale for the first regular match held in Germany, 777,000 people logged in to buy tickets. An NFL spokesman at the time said they were “overwhelmed” by the interest.
Those numbers demonstrate demand in Germany, but similar success stories can be found elsewhere as well. In London, all three games this year have sold out and demand for tickets is up compared to the same period last year, while in the US, for those unable to fly to the Olympics, demand is also up, with Recent Giants-Green Bay Packers The most watched international game on record – it attracted 5 million viewers, a 55% increase from the previous year.
“Developing the league and the international game is a big strategic priority for the NFL,” the league’s UK general manager Henry Hodgson told ESPN in a written response.
“We know that hosting live games in the marketplace and using the power of sport and culture in our games provides a powerful platform to connect with die-hard fans. We’ve been playing the game in London since 2007 and interest and demand for tickets is stronger than ever.”
Demand for the game is growing, so the NFL’s London franchise dream is no longer a pipe dream but a logical one.
London franchise… how about a division?
Earlier this month, NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell was speaking ahead of this year’s International Series in London when he made a startling comment. He’s talking about an age-old idea – placing an NFL franchise outside of the US – although that’s all it has always been: an idea.
Goodell, sitting on a council in central London, began by expressing his confidence in the British capital’s ability to host the sport.
“There’s no doubt that London can support not just one franchise, I think two,” Goodell said. “I really believe it. It’s from a fan perspective, from a commercial point of view and from a media standpoint. I think you [London] have all proven it. “
He’s spoken a lot before, as have other NFL teammates who see the sport’s future outside of America, with London always taking the idea first.
But then Goodell went further. Sitting to his right is Neil Reynolds, the NFL’s UK media face, who joked about whether the UK was being too timid about its demands. Never mind the franchise, Reynolds said, “what about a division?”
Goodell’s answer is not funny at all.
“That’s part of what we’re doing, isn’t it?” Goodell said. “We’re trying to see, can you have multiple locations in Europe where you can have an NFL franchise? Because it’s going to be easier as a division.”
The topic has sparked debate in European NFL circles for decades, but it’s always been more of a talking point than anything specific. Last year, amid the arrival of the head of the tournament’s European division, Brett Gosper, the league seemed to have all but the idea.
In an interview last year, Gosper told ESPN: “I think our goal is to make sure it’s viable, if an owner decides that he wants to bring his team to London. … Everything is ready for that to happen But it is really a decision of the owners and they all have very close relationships with the cities they are participating in right now. “
He went on to say that the NFL would look to develop the game without depending on the London franchise, such as trying to add Flag Football to the Olympic program. However, Goodell’s comment seems more optimistic.
For now, it’s still an issue worth talking about. But that idea turned out to be much more ambitious.
London, Germany, Mexico… Who else should play?
This season marks a pivotal year in the NFL’s international growth. For the first time, the tournament will hold a regular match in Germany, with Tampa Bay Buccaneers undertake Seattle Seahawks football team at the Allianz Arena of Bayern Munich on November 13.
Hopes for the game are high. It will be the first time the NFL has hosted domestic events since the demise of NFL Europe, where German fans provide a passionate, beer-filled background. The league hopes that a similar atmosphere of fervor will unfold next month.
Its plans in Germany are long-term: The NFL will host the game next month in Munich, but will change course next season with the game being played at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt in 2023. will then alternate – Munich in 2024 and Frankfurt in 2025, etc.
Each team must now host at least one international match every eight years. All of this raises one question: Where does the NFL see its future in Europe? A large number of German fans who are always present to watch the matches are based in London, with their support and infrastructure comfortably able to host more than one match per year. Before the pandemic, London hosted four times a year. During this season, the number of games played outside of the US will be five games, including The Arizona Cardinals‘clash with San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Mexico City.
Gosper answered this question last year. “Having three or four matches in London would be great,” he said. “Having two, potentially three, in Germany would also be great. Maybe getting a match in France.”
“Also, you have to have bandwidth, and the complexity around that can get a bit overwhelming. But let’s see what the future holds.”
