It’s been no secret that the NFL has been looking toward international expansion for some time now. And although there may not be a franchise in Europe anytime soon, it’s a part of the world that The League has been exploring for quite some time now by holding a handful of games annually in London. However, it appears now that the chances of the Super Bowl eventually taking place in the city are becoming closer and closer to reality.
Flyover of Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona (February 2023) | SCREENSHOT: CBS Mornings/YouTube
The NFL’s signature game is annually one of the most-watched and most profitable sporting events on the calendar. Just the sheer value that brings in terms of revenue for a city is mind-boggling, with fans, media, vendors, advertisers, and nearly everyone in the free world wanting to be in on the action. The amount of people and revenue that pours into a metropolitan area during the two weeks leading up to The Super Bowl is astronomical.
With the NFL constantly trying to expand its enormous brand, games have been played all over the world. Mexico and Germany have hosted League contests, with Japan and Australia viewed as potential host cities at some point down the road. But it’s London that seems to be the apple of the NFL’s eye. And it goes way beyond just any, old regular-season game: The Big Smoke might be getting a chance to host The Big Game.
A post by Front Office Sports on X stated, “Roger Goodell says a Super Bowl in London is not only a possibility – it’s been discussed. Following the NFL’s third and final game in the U.K. this season, the league continues to explore its options internationally.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported on Sunday that Commissioner Goodell revealed the news at a fan forum in London last week. While it isn’t happening in the next few seasons, it remains a possibility in the not-too-distant future.
Some experts believe that the powers that be are looking at a 10-year plan to have London in a regular rotation of Super Bowl cities. that would mean that we could see the ‘British Bowl’ taking place in 2033.
Following the NFL’s final game in London this season, the league is exploring the possibility of playing a Super Bowl across the pond.https://t.co/Pz42buwPBZ pic.twitter.com/yUnrSA3wyl
— Front Office Sports Today (@FOS_Today) October 16, 2023
That might sound strange, but this is professional sports; there’s no telling what The League itself might look like by that point. A relocated or expansion team might already be playing their home games outside of the US by that point. So international expansion might beat the Super Bowl to the punch, in terms of the Euro market.
As of now, the NFL will continue to play a slate of regular season contests in London in 2024, with an eye on bigger things for the future. The League is also scheduled to play two games in Germany next month.
Along with those two already established sites, Goodell has recently confirmed that cities in Spain and Brazil are under review as potential hosts in the future, as well.
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