Putting the Super Bowl in a foreign country is going to be a tough row to hoe.
The ownership of the English Premiership football club, Tottenham Hotspur, wants to hold the 2026 Super Bowl in its London stadium. While the National Football League might be interested in placing the game there, it is unlikely the league could sway American politicians that it would be in the best interest of the league to ship its crown jewel event offshore. Spurs ownership has a ten-year £40 million deal with the NFL that guarantees two regular season games annually although COVID-19 threw an obstacle into the agreement. The NFL will also play one game at Wembley Stadium in London with the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting that matchup. The NFL is serious about developing interest in Europe for its product. Munich and Frankfurt, Germany will each host two NFL games between 2022 and 2025. There will also be a game in Mexico City in 2022. NFL owners are beginning a cycle that will have at least four international games per season.
Moving the Super Bowl out of the United States is going to require an awful lot of heavy lifting. For television, the game usually starts around 6:30 in the evening on the east coast. That would mean an 11:30 start in London with pre-game activities starting hours earlier. There is no doubt that would have a late-night impact in the Tottenham stadium vicinity and that might not fly with the local council. But that is a minor inconvenience. There will be a loud complaint from many corners of the United States including Congressional representatives, a group that created the Super Bowl in 1966. There is also a report that Stadium Australia in Sydney would also be interested in the Big Game. The Super Bowl heading to Europe or Australia would be un-American. The Super Bowl is an unofficial American holiday. But the NFL is seeking money.
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