NFL Expands Committment For International Regular Season Games
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The NFL approved a resolution at a league meeting in New York that will enhance the NFL's ability to play international regular season games through 2025, as well as broadens the league's opportunity to play in other countries besides the United Kingdom.
The resolution build's on a 2011 resolution that stated the NFL to schedule international regular season games within the UK through the 2016 season.
The NFL will announce the 2016 international games later this fall, along with other possible destinations to host games in addition to the UK.
"This marks an important step in our long-term international growth," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
"Fans in the UK have responded incredibly well to the regular-season games we have played in London since 2007," he added.
Earlier in the year, the NFL reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League to play a minimum of two games per year during a 10-year span at Tottenham's new stadium, which is set to open in 2018.
Wembley Stadium in London will host two more games this season: The Buffalo Bills vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 25th, and the Detroit Lions vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 1st.
Since introducing international games in 2007, the NFL has seen accelerated growth in the UK markets.
Sunday viewership of NFL games has doubled since 2007, while the Super Bowl audience in the UK has increased by nearly 75%.
People in the UK are playing more football as well, as participation in amateur football has risen by over 15% a year since 2007 as well.