NFL Must Continue Expansion Strategy
While there was some initial pushback in the United States with plans to play games outside of its traditional homeland, the UK and Mexico have embraced NFL action on their own patches.
With the aim of growing engagement in the NFL outside of the US, the fixtures in London and Mexico City could well be the next step to exciting new franchises being formed in the future.
London Calling For Franchise
Unsurprisingly, the introduction of NFL games to London has gone down with unbridled enthusiasm from a European public that has previously only watched their adopted teams from afar. England’s capital will continue to host NFL games for the 2021 season, with Atlanta Falcons taking on the New York Jets on October 17, before Jacksonville Jaguars face the Miami Dolphins a week later.
Already 28 games over 13 successive seasons have taken place in London, with Wembley, Twickenham, and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosting games. It will be Tottenham who will host the two encounters this October, which will only see interest grow in American Football in the UK.
Ultimately the aim is to expand engagement in the United States’ biggest sport, which includes growing spectator numbers, increasing merchandise sales, and even developing industries such as fantasy football and betting. There are online guides to help beginners learn the ropes when it comes to betting on the NFL, and you can click here for more information on how to bet on the NFL. More engagement in American Football from outside the US will only increase the chances of franchises in London and in Mexico being formed, which is ultimately what fans would like to happen.
Mexico City Pushing for Representation
While there is no scheduled game in Mexico City for the 2021 season, there have been many previous encounters in Mexico’s capital. The Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers have all taken to the field at the Estadio Azteca in the last five years. With an official capacity of just over 87,500, the stadium is an ideal venue to host NFL action.
It seems only natural that if NFL franchises were established outside of the US, those bordering nations like Mexico and Canada would become ideal candidates. Mexico City last hosted a game with the Chiefs’ 24-17 win over the Chargers in front of 76,252 spectators in 2019. Organisers might well be frustrated with the wait for a return of NFL action south of the border, with 2022 looking like the next opportunity.
The Future Looks Bright
It was not all that long ago that consecutive games outside of the US were just a pipe dream, but it became a reality back in 2007 in London. There is still some way to go before new franchises can be established, but Mexico City and London certainly seem to be leading the way.
Soccer is the world’s biggest game, and its success is based on its global popularity. The NFL has long been aware of this, and with ambitious people behind the scenes, it hopefully won’t be too long before a London or Mexico
