NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is hinting at the potential for the league’s expansion into Europe.
Goodell suggested a division of European teams could happen while speaking in London on Saturday before an international series game between the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
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“There’s no question that London could support not just one franchise, I think two franchises. I really believe that. And that’s from a fan perspective, from a commercial standpoint, from a media standpoint. I think you all have proven that,” Goodell said. “That’s part of what we’re doing. We’re trying to sort of see, could you have multiple locations in Europe where you could have an NFL franchise, because it would be easier as a division.”
The future’s bright for football in Europe! #NFLUK pic.twitter.com/S4nfXRMKgI
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) October 8, 2022
The NFL had an international league, NFL Europe, which played games starting in 1991 before dissolving in 2007 after the league was reportedly losing $30 million a season.
After the European league ceased operations, the NFL began the International Series in 2007 with at least one regular season game being played outside the United States every season since its launch, with the exception of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The NFL started with one game in London in 2007 before expanding to multiple games across the pond beginning in 2013. The league added Mexico to the international series in 2016, with a game in Germany being added to the annual series this season.
The biggest hurdle for an NFL team in Europe would be the time difference, with London being five hours ahead of the Eastern time zone in the U.S. and most of the European continent being six hours ahead of the East Coast. Currently, NFL games in London are played at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time or 1 p.m. Eastern Time, with the game in Germany this season set for a 9:30 a.m. Eastern start.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London is reportedly looking to bid to host Super Bowl LX in February 2026, which would be the first postseason game and Super Bowl held outside the U.S. if selected.
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Talks on potential NFL expansion will likely continue as the league pushes the first regular season game in Germany between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks next month.
