America Wins: NFL Isn't Focused On London Super Bowl Anytime Soon After All
NEW YORK -- If you're worried the NFL is about to export its signature event, the Super Bowl, to a foreign country any time soon, relax.
Not happening. Not now. And not for a long time.
The media that went nuts reporting the NFL is considering playing a Super Bowl in London based on what commissioner Roger Goodell said during a fan event apparently missed a sizeable chunk of context.
"I saw that report on Sunday and having been at the fan forum where that report was pulled from when he was asked about that, his response was we've thought about that," NFL executive vice president for major events and international Peter O'Reilly said Tuesday. "We consider a lot of things. As you do, you consider all options.
"That is not a near-term focus of ours. The focus as it relates to Super Bowl is on NFL cities in the US. There's significant opportunities to values and values in those markets. Clearly we always keep our eyes open for where there could be opportunities but that is not a near-term focus of ours."
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 08: General view inside the stadium as fireworks are set off prior to the NFL Match between Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 08, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)
Lots Of Issues Prevent London Super Bowl
This is an NFL executive's way of saying this stuff ain't happening for a long time.
The truth is NFL owners annually vie for the right to have their cities host Super Bowls. They often want such events as a reward for building or helping to finance state of the art stadiums and facilities. Also, some like being local heroes that bring events with approximately half-a-billion dollars in economic impact to their towns.
Those owners won't soon be sending a Super Bowl, which many in their number want, overseas.
It can become an issue to monitor when and if the NFL expands to London. Then the owner of that franchise will seek and perhaps some day be rewarded with a Super Bowl game in the UK.
But the NFL has to solve multiple problems with deciding to expand or relocate, finding a viable owner, building facilities, working out extensive travel issues, and other things, before a London team is a reality.
The NFL simply isn't there. It could take a decade or more.
GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 12: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) receives the snap during Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, February 12th, 2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. (Photo by Adam Bow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NFL International Focus On Regular Season
"I'd put more attention on how do we think about regular-season games," O'Reilly said. "Thinking about new markets and new inventory for regular-season games. Less near-term focus on our biggest platform which is the Super Bowl."
This obviously does not mean the NFL is not interested in its international fan base. Owners at this meeting spent an entire session discussing the issues related to that.
"We talked with the membership about games," O'Reilly said.
Next season and this one, the NFL will play a couple of game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Jaguars will also play one game at Wembley Stadium. So London will get three games again in 2024.
The NFL, which is about to play two games in Frankfurt, Germany, in Weeks 9-10, will play in Munich next year. And because Estadio Azteca is undergoing renovations, Mexico will not get a game in 2024, which opens a slot elsewhere.
The NFL is considering Madrid or and Brazil as venues for a fourth international game next season.
But Super Bowl?
America is exclusively keeping that for a while.