The NFL London Series has, once again, been deemed a huge success. Now in its 16 th year, bringing NFL fixtures to London has become a firm part of the UK sporting calendar in the early fall. The 2023 series, currently ongoing, has matched expectations, with fans flocking to London to watch the action – the opening game at Wembley saw the Falcons/Jaguars sell over 85,000 tickets – as well as catching it on television. It’s a big deal, and it’s obviously a key part of the NFL’s international marketing strategy.

Aside from the NFL itself, one of the key winners of the expansion has been the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London, which has signed a long-term agreement with the NFL to host at least two games per season until 2030. Home of the Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, it’s a logical choice in the capital. After all, it’s the only stadium in the UK that was purposefully built to host NFL games. At 62,500 capacity, it’s the second largest stadium in London after Wembley.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host games across the decade

In truth, Wembley would be a more attractive option in terms of fan attendance, as the NFL could sell over 20,000 tickets for each game. But Wembley is the national stadium, and it’s not always available. The England national soccer team plays fixtures there. And for example, England will play Italy on October 17th at Wembley, which comes two days after the Ravens vs. Titans game. It would not be possible to host both at Wembley. And despite the NFL’s growth in the UK, soccer remains top dog by a considerable distance.

But that growth is significant, and it would be short-sighted to think that London is the only market to exploit for live games. The UK’s NFL fandom is spread across the country; make no mistake about that. Importantly, it does not exist only for a couple of games in the capital each year. There is a buzz among UK NFL fans from Gameweek 1 in September right through to the Super Bowl in February. There is dedicated television coverage, huge social media coverage, platforms with NFL predictions and betting advice, and a lot more. This is not limited to London.

Iconic stadiums like in the north of the UK

While London is often the attractive option when looking at the UK from the outside, it’s worth noting that it’s not always viewed as the center of UK sports. The North West, including the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, is a powerhouse of sporting success. Old Trafford, for instance, has a capacity of over 74,000, and as the home of the UK’s biggest sports brand, Manchester United, it would be a fitting venue for an NFL game. Further north in Scotland, venues like Murrayfield in Edinburgh would sell out for a football game. In Wales, the iconic Principality Stadium has a capacity similar to Old Trafford.

The most important consideration is that these stadiums have held world-class events before. In fact, they are accustomed to it. FA Cup Finals, Rugby World Cup games, Champions League Finals, boxing title fights, and so on. The logistics are in place to host the NFL, should the organization choose to look beyond the capital. Sure, London is an international city, but bringing live games to the British heartlands would help grow the fandom; you can be sure about that.

Of course, the NFL’s strategy extends beyond the UK. Two games will be played in Munich, Germany, this season. Mexico City has also hosted games in the past. But while the NFL’s strategy is a global one and it makes sense to host in an international city like London, it’s worth remembering that the UK is a sports mad country with rich heartlands far beyond its capital city. That market is ready and waiting to host live NFL games.