Bring football home: let London host the Super Bowl
The NFL has been playing matches in London since 1986. If any city outside the USA is ever going to host the Super Bowl, it should be London, says Alex Challoner Last week, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it was insane that the UK has not hosted a world cup since 1966. While it [...]
The National Football League (NFL) has been hosting matches in London since 1986, with over 210,000 NFL fans attending games at Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur stadiums each year. Last year, three major NFL matches were played in the capital, and each of the 32 NFL teams has played at least one match in London since 2007. Roger Goodell, the Commissioner of the NFL, expressed his support for a London bid to host the Super Bowl, stating that it wouldn't surprise him if it happened one day.
The boss of the San Francisco 49ers also expressed his desire for a Super Bowl in London. A London Super Bowl would bring significant economic benefits, estimated at over £160bn a year, with a substantial boost to the hospitality sector and the reputation of the city. Additionally, the halftime show would provide a welcome boost to London's glamour and attract a global audience of 182.2m viewers.
London Stadium, currently incurring a £19m annual budget deficit, would also benefit from the financial injection of hosting such a global sporting event. The city's global brand, successful track record of staging major events, and genuine affection for American football make London the ideal candidate to host the Super Bowl and fulfill the NFL's global ambitions.
Written by urgent.news from City AM's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
