Over the last several years, one of the most interesting topics for discussion in the NFL has been the concept of having an overseas team, notably to the UK. The Jacksonville Jaguars has often been the franchise predicted to make a move, given that the team has played more games abroad than any other. That may or may not happen, and it may be the case that the NFL would prefer an expansion team rather than relocating a current one. Jacksonville natives, who have seen their city invest a lot in the Jags, would prefer that, too.
Nonetheless, it is clear that the NFL views the UK as its primary foreign market. The league has a permanent home in London now, with three games played annually. In the 2025 season, we may see even more games played in Europe. Dublin and Madrid, for example, have been picked as probable locations for NFL games. Germany hosts regular games, but the United Kingdom is the main prize.
It is not, however, just as easy as bringing a couple of games to the UK each year. It requires a lot of investment: of both time and money. There is no guarantee of success. either. If you consider, for example, the NBA, which held games in London in the early 2010s. While the games were well attended, the NBA switched its attention to Paris, seeing the French basketball culture as easier to penetrate.
Sports aren’t always the same
There are other factors to consider. Sports and sports culture aren’t always like for like. If you take something like horse racing, which is hugely popular in the UK and which has a huge legacy. UK horse racing is vastly different to the US. The most prominent events are the Aintree Grand National and Cheltenham Festival. The buzz for Cheltenham betting in the spring is something akin to March Madness for college basketball. Yet, these events are national hunt racing, which is almost non-existent in the US. While the UK’s flat season is more in tune with US horse racing, recognizing that differences are present is important.
Moreover, there is also the question of room for growth. Soccer, rugby union, cricket, and horse racing are the most popular sports in the UK. Soccer’s dominance is of particular note. The NFL, as mentioned, has done a lot to invest in the UK market. The key is not just the few games played in London each fall. Rather, it’s the broadcast deal with Sky Sports, which offers dedicated coverage of the regular season and playoffs. Sky has done so much to push the product, but it still remains a niche sport. Dedicated fans will watch at home, but it would still be a rare sight to see an American football game being played on television in a bar, for example.
Logistical challenges for popular US sports
Other challenges are logistical. The NHL is not averse to playing games abroad, and it has done so for many years. There is some ice hockey culture in northern cities like Sheffield, Glasgow, and Coventry, yet there are few facilities for the game to grow at the grassroots level. That feeds into the overall appetite for consuming the support as a fan.
Yet, the prize is clear to see. The UK sports market is worth about $35 billion. Soccer takes the lion’s share of that pot, but there is room to grow the pie. As mentioned, the NFL has put a lot of effort into growing the league’s presence there. In 2012, 3 million people in the UK identified as NFL fans; that number is somewhere around 14 million today. It’s taken a lot of money and time to get there, but there are rewards for taking a gamble on this sports-mad country.
