Beyond it’s Borders: The NFL
The NFL outside of the USA? American Football had long been considered a sport solely for
American sports fans, largely ignored by the rest of the world. This is no longer the case. The
NFL has become a hugely popular and fast-growing sport in the UK and Europe, boasting
millions of fans.
The potential for global expansion was first seen by the NFL in 2007, when it hosted the first
ever NFL International Game in London, played between the New York Giants and Miami
Dolphins at Wembley Stadium. The NFL wanted to profit from an emerging European fanbase
for the sport. London became the epicentre of international American Football.
Since then, Wembley has hosted 26 games, joined by Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a host for
London games since 2019. The redevelopment of Tottenham Football Club’s stadium as a multipurpose-built stadium signalled a desire to draw both musical and sporting crowds. The NFL
jumped at the potential, finalising a ten-year partnership with the stadium for two annual NFL
games.
This year, London was host to three successive weekends of NFL games. The first game was
between the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, the second involving the Jacksonville
Jaguars and Chicago Bears, and the last weekend seeing the New England Patriots against the
returning Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Minnesota Vikings were victorious in the first week, forcing three interceptions from Jets’
quarterback Aaron Rodgers on their way to a 23-17 win. In the second week, the Chicago Bears
dominated against the Jacksonville Jaguars, winning 35-16, in the best game of rookie Caleb
Williams’ career, who threw for four touchdowns. The third and final NFL London game
resulted in a much-needed 32-16 win for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the New England
Patriots. Munich, Germany will play host to the Giants and Panthers in November for the final
NFL international game of this season.
The combination of NFL international games played in London and Munich, and the long-term
broadcasting rights deal between Sky Sports and the NFL has made it easier for international UK
and European fans to watch American Football.
Alongside potential for European fanbases, the NFL viewed global expansion as an opportunity
to grow the global talent pool of American Football players. The NFL Academy was launched in
2019 as a major global initiative by the NFL that would allow athletes access to full-time high
school education while being mentored and trained under the tutelage of a world-class
coaching staff. The aim was simple: create pathways for international talent to play
professional American Football.
Recent notable NFL Academy graduates making waves in America include Daniel Akinkunmi and
Timi Oke. Akinkunmi received 35 Division 1 scholarship offers to American programmes, and
committed to the University of Oklahoma in 2023, now in his freshman year. Timi Oke only took
up American Football aged 18 and is now in his freshman year at BIG10 school, Northwestern
University.
American Football in Europe has a legacy dating back to NFL Europe, a hugely popular league
that functioned somewhat like a developmental minor league for the NFL during the 1990s.
Today, The European League of Football (ELF) boasts immense talent and viewership, starting in
2021, and now host to 17 teams as of the 2024 season. The ELF had record attendance
numbers during the 2023 Season, with 32,500 people attending the second-week regular
season game between the Hamburg Sea Devils and, eventual champions, the Rhein Fire.
The continued narrative of franchises outside of America has come to an end. At one stage, the
Jacksonville Jaguars seemed like the most likely of all NFL teams to move to London. Instead,
the NFL has suggested that creating European NFL franchises would involve at least two new
teams being introduced to the league, shifting how divisions were split in the NFL. However, the
possibility of any non-American franchise is highly unlikely given long travel times, player rights
and financial investment.
The NFL is now undoubtedly a game beyond the borders of the USA. Despite the introduction of
European franchises being highly unlikely, through international games, broadcasting rights to
many games, the NFL Academy, and the ELF, American Football has become one of the fastest
growing sports in Europe.
Words by Noah Robinson
