| Dates: 7 September 2023 – 7 January 2024 |
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It was a query many have been asking as the newest run of London video games ended on Sunday: will there ever be an NFL crew based mostly in England’s capital?
Because the NFL’s first common season sport abroad in 2007, international curiosity in American soccer has continued to develop.
The worldwide collection is now as much as 5 video games a season, and final week the Jacksonville Jaguars grew to become the primary crew to play twice abroad in the identical marketing campaign.
Extra worldwide enlargement is coming and, talking at a fan discussion board in London, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell teased UK followers about what lies forward.
He stated London internet hosting the Tremendous Bowl “has been mentioned” and “will not be inconceivable”. As for a UK franchise, he added: “Yearly right here I really feel extra keen about it. I do not need to rule something out.”
So what are the most certainly subsequent steps for the NFL abroad and why may they be influenced by an enormous development challenge in Florida?
A number of video games once more for ‘London’s crew’?
If any crew may relocate to the UK, the Jaguars are the perfect candidate. They’ve visited most frequently, taking part in in every London collection since 2013 – and two weeks operating this yr.
They received each video games and can play one ‘house’ sport at Wembley in 2024. Crew proprietor Shahid Khan stated throughout the London video games that he hopes to renew that deal, though the Jags are but to verify if they may play a number of video games once more subsequent yr.
NFL UK’s basic supervisor Henry Hodgson instructed BBC Sport: “The Jaguars taking part in back-to-back video games right here, and being current in London all through that point, was an thrilling piece of progress for us.
“That was the following step in that evolution, when it comes to testing in direction of [a London franchise]. It was an excellent alternative for us to show that we may create a extremely seamless expertise.
“They have been nice game-days however, importantly, all the pieces in between went easily for them, so there was no approach anybody may say ‘we would have been higher off being in Jacksonville throughout that point’, as a result of all the pieces was delivered to the extent they’re used to.”
Nevertheless, a everlasting transfer not appears imminent because the franchise is in negotiations over a new stadium in Jacksonville costing $1.4bn (£1.15bn). They hope development will start after the 2024 season.
An entire division in Europe?
By no means thoughts a London franchise, throughout final yr’s London video games commissioner Goodell mooted the concept of European cities internet hosting an entire division – 4 groups. Divisional rivals play one another twice a season so that may be 12 video games which don’t contain any groups travelling throughout the Atlantic.
For that to occur, 4 groups must relocate from the US or 4 enlargement groups be shaped – the NFL has had only one since 1999.
“There’s work being accomplished to see what [a Europe division] would take,” Hodgson stated. “Within the meantime, all we will do is create the circumstances and the chance that may make a franchise profitable if it have been to return right here. Meaning persevering with to develop the fanbase, media protection and participation.
“The half we’ve much less management over is the final piece of the puzzle. You’d want an proprietor to say ‘I’ll take my franchise over’ or a brand new franchise to return into the league and their proprietor to make the case that London, or wherever else, is the proper place for that.”
Extra worldwide video games anticipated in 2024 – however what number of?
For now, abroad video games are an even bigger precedence for the NFL than an abroad franchise. League officers not too long ago visited Spain and Brazil to have a look at taking part in in Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The NFL can also be in talks with France and Australia, however it has but to hold out comparable visits.
This yr’s worldwide collection concludes with two video games in Germany subsequent month as Mexico’s Azteca Stadium is being renovated, ruling it out for this season and subsequent.
Germany will stage at the least one sport in 2024, with Tottenham internet hosting two and Wembley one, so Brazil and/or Spain may very well be added to subsequent yr’s collection.
Apart from having one worldwide franchise, another choice is every crew taking part in eight house video games, eight away and one worldwide, with the common season having been expanded to 17 video games in 2021.
“Both of these paths is within the realms of risk,” stated NFL government vice-president Peter O’Reilly.
“That is why we’re doing this diligence across the alternative of increasing the variety of video games performed and having the capability and infrastructure in place if there have been a state of affairs for potential relocation or perhaps even enlargement.
“There may be ardour and demand for our sport and for the NFL exterior the US and that is why we’re exploring it as absolutely as we’re. We need to serve an ever-growing and engaged international fan base.”
Internet hosting the Tremendous Bowl ‘the top’ for UK
Given the NFL’s present system for play-off video games and the Tremendous Bowl, there would first need to be a UK franchise for both to be staged in London.
Solely cities with an NFL crew are thought of for the Tremendous Bowl, the one post-season sport performed at a impartial venue, so it might additionally take a UK crew incomes home-field benefit for a play-off sport to be performed in London.
And even when a London crew existed, the time distinction can be a priority when internet hosting the Tremendous Bowl. The sport’s kick-off time is historically 18:30 ET (23:30 GMT). That must be introduced ahead if staged within the UK, taking it out of the primetime slot for US TV.
The one TV broadcast ever to attract an even bigger US viewers than final season’s Tremendous Bowl (115.1 million) was the 1969 Moon touchdown. The sport additionally attracted its greatest ever viewers exterior the US (56 million).
And, as one of many world’s greatest sport occasions, it supplies an enormous financial enhance to the host area and native followers. Last season’s Super Bowl generated $1.3bn (£1.07bn) for Arizona and introduced in additional than 100,000 out-of-state friends.
“My perspective is that it might be very troublesome to take that out of the US for numerous causes, each logistical and cultural,” Hodgson added.
“However sure, aspirationally that is the top of one thing we would prefer to occur. If there was a franchise in London, that is how Tremendous Bowl cities earn that proper. They will bid to host the sport.”
So the instant prospect of extra NFL video games in London may hinge on the development schedule of the Jaguars’ proposed new stadium.
It was initially thought the crew must play at an alternate website for 2 seasons. The Jags now hope to scale back that to 1.
Nevertheless many video games they need to play away from Jacksonville, UK followers would welcome them to a brief house.