Would a British NFL franchise be successful?

Last Sunday was the 10th NFL game to be hosted at Wembley Stadium. The competing teams were the Atlanta Falcons, who sacrificed a game at their home stadium to travel over here, and the Detroit Lions. The first half of the game was a great start for the Falcons, who finished the half with a 21 point lead, however the game turned in the second half and came down to the last 4 seconds when the Lions kicked a field goal to win by a score of 22-21. This was the second of three NFL games being played at Wembley this year – the most American Football games to be played in the UK during one season.

The possibility of having a London-based NFL team has been mooted by various people since the NFL’s first foray into Wembley in 2007, but the idea has been revived recently after George Osborne told NFL officials that the UK government would support any plans to start an NFL London franchise. This is an incredibly exciting prospect for the 2 million plus NFL fans who live in the UK. But American Football teams are not cheap to run when based on US soil, never mind the added cost of being located across the Atlantic.

In order to explore the likelihood of permanent NFL success in London, it is worth considering the attendance statistics for the games.

The past five games at Wembley have reached attendances of more than 83,000, with the number set to increase for the final game of this year, on 9 November, when the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Dallas Cowboys, arguably the most internationally well-known team in the league.

Clearly there is a strong enough following for a team on this side of the pond but whether the attendance would remain this high if American Football at Wembley became a regular occurrence for a full season is a difficult question to answer. Having been to games myself, my bet would be that it would continue to attract a large crowd, since UK NFL fans are dedicated to the game as a whole, not just one particular team.

Furthermore, the enthusiasm and interaction with the crowd at American Football games (and indeed all American sports games I have attended) creates the overall experience of a complete day out with entertainment from gymnasts, mascots, cheerleaders and acts during half-time, not just watching the players and the game itself.

Incentives like free flags and t-shirts give even those who have no idea about the game the opportunity to feel involved and get the sense of belonging to a team.

The financial side of the NFL will no doubt be the driving force in whether plans for a London-based team will come to fruition. The broadcaster ESPN pays $1.9 billion per year for the right to show NFL games whilst BSkyB signed a new five-year deal in September to ensure they retain the major broadcasting rights in the UK. The fact that this contract was signed proves that businesses also see the potential for the NFL UK market.

Indeed, this could help shorten the predicted wait times for American football in the UK. Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, has suggested the NFL London franchise is only six or seven years away from becoming a reality, but with major companies pushing the NFL in the right direction for UK audiences, it could be sooner

Many people have suggested that an NFL team in London would create too much of problem in terms of logistics. According to the Falcons, they flew 221 people over 4210 miles across the globe and we can assume a similar number of people for Detroit

If an NFL team were to be based in London, the equipment would remain in the team base but transport for team and staff would still be a necessity. When asked about this, Arthur Blank looked to teams from San Diego and Seattle as examples of long distance travel not being too much of an issue for NFL teams at present. Admittedly, the east coast of the US is closer to the west coast than it is to the UK, but there are still significant amounts of travel and time zone changes required as it is.

It was also suggested that games would be played in blocks similar to those in baseball matches, where the London-based team would play three games at home and then three games in the US, reducing the expense.

Ultimately, it appears that the foundations for an NFL London team are rock solid. The fan base exists and is substantial enough to sell an adequate amount of tickets for it to work. There is support from influential sources like the UK government, and NFL teams are willing to travel to London to play games. NFL officials are hoping for another surge in fans to boost attendances even more, so it is likely there will be many more games at Wembley over the next few years. Check it out if you get the chance – it’s an experience you won’t forget!