NFL commissioner Roger Goodell informed the SportsBusiness Journal yesterday that two games will be played overseas during next year’s NFL regular season. The SportsBusiness Journal reports that BOTH games will be played in London. London’s Wembley Stadium has hosted an NFL regular season game since 2007. This year’s game on October 23rd will feature the Chicago Bears vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay will be the “home” team meaning they will actually only play seven games at Raymond James Stadium, their normal home stadium. Malcolm Glazer the Buccaneers owner is ALSO the owner of the English Premier Soccer team Manchester United.
It looks like Goodell is trying to copy NBA commissioner David Stern’s lead by marketing the NFL overseas. The NBA has been very successful in expanding its brand in Europe and Asia. Starting with the hype of the Dream Team playing in the 1992 Summer Olympic in Barcelona, basketball has severely increased in popularity over the past two decades outside of the US. This was cumulated in the fact that the USA team did not win the 2004 Olympic gold medal in basketball, something they easily we able to win in the previous three Summer Olympic games.
Will London one day have its own NFL team? Only time will tell. I am sure the west coast teams will enjoy that 12+ hour flight to London! Expanding into Canada makes more sense. The game is played in Canada already; Canada has its own football league the CFL, and an existing fan base. The Buffalo Bills are in the middle of a five year agreement to play one home game in Toronto until 2012.
I’d be annoyed if I am a Buccaneers or Bills fan. Play a pre-season game overseas! Do not take away one of the only eight regular season home games that I can attend as a fan each year. Talking with all my friends in London today, the NFL is a novelty. They have their own “football” which is soccer. What’s next? "Hello fans, Jim Nance and Phil Simms here live from Kazakhstan for Super Bowl XLL!!!"
