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A senior National Football League (NFL) official has said it is planning to schedule back-to-back games in London for one of its franchises as part of its discovery process in bringing a team to the UK permanently.
Having started the International Series in London 12 years ago, 2019 marks the second year out of the last three that the NFL has staged four games in the British capital. In 2017 and 2019 those four games involved eight different teams.
Now the NFL is keen to test one team playing successive matches in the city as it further explores the long-touted concept of having one of its 32 franchises being permanently situated in London.
Chris Halpin, the NFL’s chief strategy and growth officer, told the Times: “As part of our long-term effort that is something we want to see to test out a team being in London for two games over a week. Whether that is in 2020 or another year we are not sure yet. That is a key element of exploration of a franchise in London.”
Halpin did not reveal to the British newspaper which team was being considered. Jacksonville Jaguars have an agreement to host one home a game season in London through 2020 and have regularly been mentioned as the team best placed to move to the UK.
One arrangement that could facilitate back-to-back games would be for a team to play a designated home game in London followed by a designated away game the week after.
As for a permanent UK franchise, one of the issues for the league is over the potential advantage for the home team in play-off games held at less than a week’s notice. Whilst an east coast flight to London is barely longer than a US coast to coast domestic trip, there are complications for west coast teams and considerable time differences to factor in.
“One of the big questions [for a franchise] is whether we can make a play-off work in London, and that is what we are working through,” Halpin added.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, recently held talks with Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, which the Times report as ‘hugely positive’, with all the pieces of jigsaw for a London franchise ‘falling into place’.
A senior NFL official has said it is planning to schedule back-to-back games in London
A senior National Football League (NFL) official has said it is planning to schedule back-to-back games in London for one of its franchises as part of its discovery process in bringing a team to the UK permanently.
Having started the International Series in London 12 years ago, 2019 marks the second year out of the last three that the NFL has staged four games in the British capital. In 2017 and 2019 those four games involved eight different teams.
Now the NFL is keen to test one team playing successive matches in the city as it further explores the long-touted concept of having one of its 32 franchises being permanently situated in London.
Chris Halpin, the NFL’s chief strategy and growth officer, told the Times: “As part of our long-term effort that is something we want to see to test out a team being in London for two games over a week. Whether that is in 2020 or another year we are not sure yet. That is a key element of exploration of a franchise in London.”
Halpin did not reveal to the British newspaper which team was being considered. Jacksonville Jaguars have an agreement to host one home a game season in London through 2020 and have regularly been mentioned as the team best placed to move to the UK.
One arrangement that could facilitate back-to-back games would be for a team to play a designated home game in London followed by a designated away game the week after.
As for a permanent UK franchise, one of the issues for the league is over the potential advantage for the home team in play-off games held at less than a week’s notice. Whilst an east coast flight to London is barely longer than a US coast to coast domestic trip, there are complications for west coast teams and considerable time differences to factor in.
“One of the big questions [for a franchise] is whether we can make a play-off work in London, and that is what we are working through,” Halpin added.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, recently held talks with Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, which the Times report as ‘hugely positive’, with all the pieces of jigsaw for a London franchise ‘falling into place’.
