NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has hinted that the league is exploring the idea of a Super Bowl taking place in London.
With the NFL currently in preparations for its third straight yearly game in the English capital, ESPN reported that a London Super Bowl could be on the cards as a potential featured event in the future.
“It is not impossible, and it is something that has been discussed before,” the media outlet cited Goodell from his attendance at a recent fan forum in London.
With the next three Super Bowls taking place in Las Vegas, New Orleans and California, the possibility of the event going abroad will fit well into NFL’s strategy to grow its exposure internationally, with London being an obvious contender given that the league has already established a significant presence there.
Goodell continued: “I think that is not out of the question. But at the end of the day, I think right now our formula will stay the same about playing [Super Bowls] in cities that have franchises.”
Of course, for a London Super Bowl to take place NFL bosses need to assess the potential revenues it would bring to the league, which would most certainly be a welcomed aspect given the prominent NFL fanbase and the available infrastructure in the city.
“I think being able to play it in one of our cities – it’s at a huge economic boost to those cities,” Goodell added. “Our fans live in those cities also. I think that is important. Not that we do not have great fans here [in London]; we do. So as the international series develops, maybe that is a possibility as we play more games here.”
Europe has proven to be a suitable host for NFL’s international expansion, with three games from this season taking place in London and two in Germany. Spain is shaping up to be on the agenda for future events.
