The NFL’s International Series Continues to Grow
The National Football League (NFL) has been a mainstay of American entertainment since its inception in 1920, with American football considered by many as the most popular sport in the USA. Attracting hundreds of millions of viewers each season and generating tens of billions of dollars in revenue every year, the NFL makes up one of the world’s largest sporting economies.
Each season starts in September and climaxes in February with the iconic Super Bowl – a one-off game that defines the campaign and determines the overall winner of the championship.
Although exhibition matches have taken place outside the USA since the 1950s, the impact they’ve had on the growth of the sport outside of America has been minimal. As such, all things NFL have remained very much confined to the continent of North America for decades. To combat this, the NFL launched its International Series in October 2007, with the first international game seeing the New York Giants defeat the Miami Dolphins at London’s Wembley Stadium.
For the next five seasons, one game per campaign was played at Wembley, however, continued development of the International Series now sees multiple games a season played in London, as well as in other international destinations.
In line with the NFL’s mission to grow the sport’s international footprint, their venture into London and beyond has undoubtedly helped build and establish a new global fanbase, inspiring people across the globe to watch and play American football. Since 2017, every season, except one, has seen four NFL games played in England’s capital, with three stadiums now regularly used – Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Twickenham.
This Autumn, NFL fans have got three opportunities to catch a live match in London with October fixtures seeing the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley and the Buffalo Bills at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which will also host the Baltimore Ravens Vs the Tennessee Titans.
Each match promises to offer unrivalled entertainment, on and off the pitch, with sell-out crowds expected. First-class hospitality venues are available at both stadiums and access into Central London for pre and post-match entertainment is easy.
At Blend Group, we specialise in putting together bespoke, luxury experiences for our clients. If you’d like to attend an NFL match in London, while enjoying the best hospitality on offer, please get in touch here. We can also take care of any travel and accommodation requirements you have, as well as any additional experiences you want to enjoy.