How the NFL is trying to expand in Europe

(MENAFN- Link Raptors)

American football is the most engaging Sport in the United States. The league has a lot of fans and is capable of conveying the feelings of hordes of enthusiasts. During the 2023 season, an audience poll carried on by major American television networks showed that 19 of the 20 most successful shows during that broadcasting year were football games. Now, the league is trying to expand in Europe (as well as in South America), because its research shows how a large number of sports fans is becoming more and more interested in the product.

We are used to watching games played in London by now, since this is a reality of our time, with matches occurring in Wembley, Twickenham or Spurs Stadium in Tottenham since 2007. Three years ago, the NFL started playing in Germany, in Munich and Hamburg. In the future, we will have games in Madrid and, who knows, maybe at one point the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, will realise his dream of having a game played in the Colosseum in Rome (this is very difficult, of course, and may very well stay a dream forever, but shows how much the league desires to expand).

The NFL: what a show!

The NFL is mainly a business. The franchise are, first and foremost, sellers. They sell passion, feelings, and, obviously, game tickets and merchandise. So they are more than happy to expand their market in Europe. Here, they can find buyers, exactly like they do in the States. 

NFL games are gaining more and more attention in Europe, leading to an increase in tickets sold and betting. Various types of bets are available, ranging from the traditional match winner to the total points scored in a single match. For each and every bet, you can find a guide and NFL odds on Oddschecker, which are determined through expert analysis of team records, injuries, form, weather conditions, and other relevant factors. Whenever bettors show interest in a sport, it means that the activity is starting to find its place in the hearts of sports enthusiasts. This is exactly what is happening right now in Europe, for the NFL.

American Football is the ultimate team sport, in terms of adrenaline and big plays. The NFL is home to a lot of the world’s greatest athletes and seeing them going one against the other every Sunday is an incredible show to watch. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the league is the richest in the world and generates an insane amount of revenue every year.

What’s next for the NFL?

The International Series (this is the official name the NFL uses to call the games played overseas) is bound to become bigger and bigger. Franchises see the chance of making more money and there are some owners (like Jacksonville Jaguars’ Shahid Khan) who want to play at least two international games abroad every season, in order to broaden their market. During this 2024 season, already in its last month of competition, the NFL scheduled five international games (three in the UK, one in Germany and one in Brazil) but commissioner Goodell already said that he’s eyeing an increase for 2025. The league would like to play up to eight international games, starting next year.

This is great news for European fans. Of course, the cost of a ticket is pretty high, but we are talking about an incredible experience, which begins hours before the kickoff and includes tailgating, singing and being part of one of the biggest sport events in the whole world. Having the chance to assist in person is something that wasn’t conceivable 30 years ago. The only way to watch a game live, without a screen between the fan and the action on the gridiron, was to actually visit the States. Nowadays, you can be part of this show in your city, or after a short trip by car or train.

The tickets for an international game are usually put on sale during the summer, months before the actual match kicks off. However, they sell out in a matter of minutes. This is the reason why the league wants to play more games abroad.

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