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Surprise Non-USA City Emerges As “Overwhelming” Favorite To Receive Next NFL Expansion Franchise

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

View inside the NFL stadium (Photo Via Imagn Images)

The NFL could soon look beyond the United States for its next expansion team. League Commissioner Roger Goodell has said an international team will happen someday. Now, league executives appear to have one city in mind.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently examined the leading non-US cities for a potential NFL team. London, England, emerged as the clear favorite among league executives. Mexico City, Toronto, and Berlin also made the list.

London Leads The International Expansion Race

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (Photo via Imagn Images)

Fowler found that London has strong support within the league, calling it “overwhelming favorite among league executives.” One AFC executive pointed to the city’s growing NFL infrastructure and easier travel.

“Traveling there is pretty turnkey at this point, and they have developed the infrastructure in place over the last decade,” the executive told Fowler. “You almost don’t need a bye week after playing there.”

That change could matter as the NFL considers a full-time team outside the US Teams already play regular-season games in London, and the league has built a strong presence there over the years.

NFL personnel also like Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fowler reported that league officials have praised the venue and compared its facilities with newer stadiums in the United States.

“It’s got the facilities, a large economy and the population,” another AFC executive told Fowler. “The fanbase there is passionate.”

Travel is still the biggest hurdle for a team in London. Flying out from New York takes at least seven hours, and a trip from Los Angeles can take half a day.

Even so, London checks almost every other box for the NFL. It has a massive population, a huge economy, and an already loyal fan base. Plus, the league has spent years hosting successful games there.

While some American fans dislike games being played abroad, the NFL’s goal is to attract new viewers. The league is already quite big in the US, but events like the FIFA World Cup pull in far bigger global crowds. Placing a permanent franchise overseas could be the NFL’s best shot at closing that gap and winning over fans worldwide.

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