A UK-Based NFL Team Feels Closer Than Ever Before – Daily Business

On the 28^th October 2007, the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins took to the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium, becoming the first two teams to contest an NFL regular-season game outside North America. The event was a huge success, with over 80,000 packing into Wembley. The NFL returned a year later, and the year after that, and so on for two decades. Today, the UK hosts multiple NFL games per season. It’s an integral part of the season.

For the 2026 season, the NFL has lined up a record nine international games, including matches held in Australia and France for the first time. It’s part of an aggressive global expansion strategy, one that is already reaping huge financial benefits through television broadcast deals.

The UK is in prime position for an NFL franchise

The UK, however, remains the most fertile ground. There is a big fanbase here. Not on a par with the Premier League and association football generally, yet that’s not going to worry the NFL. The goal is to get a slice of the pie, not challenge the Premier League.

But that sense of the UK being oven-ready for the NFL prevails. You can see with metrics like social media engagement and other areas like betting on the NFL that the league’s presence here is keenly felt. Sky Sports, the key broadcaster, has made a huge commitment with its coverage, and works hard at marketing it.

Yet, what if the NFL were to come here permanently? It has been talked about for years. Most notably, there was the case of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that plays every season – usually multiple games – in London. For a while, it was speculated that the Jags’ owner, Shahid Khan, would move the team here permanently, though those claims were rowed back.

However, this summer, the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell claimed that he believed an NFL franchise would launch outside of the United States. He didn’t put a time frame on it, but it sounded like he was talking about years rather than decades. Could the UK be a possibility? Almost certainly. London seems like the smartest option. In fact, it would be surprising if they chose anywhere else.

Fans may have concerns

There are concerns, though. We mentioned the possible relocation of the Jaguars there, so it is worth noting that local fans in Jacksonville were up in arms about the idea. Imagine that Manchester United suddenly decided to move to New York; you can be sure that the red half of Manchester wouldn’t be happy. Americans are a little more accustomed to seeing their teams move cities, but it’s a different matter when teams are transplanted across the world.

Logistical issues would also need to be addressed. Even if it is a team or teams created through the expansion of the league rather than moving franchises, you still have the problem of moving teams to foreign countries each game week. The NFL season is short and intense by design, with weekly games played across 18 weeks with one bye week. A trip across the Atlantic could be draining and is not ideal for teams wanting to maintain optimum performance levels.

We will have to see how things pan out. None of this is going to happen tomorrow, but the US sports media is rife with speculation on how and when it could work. What is abundantly clear, though, is that London, already the semi-permanent home of the NFL, is top of the pile when considering where the next NFL franchise will be located.