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Spain is a powerful contender to be the following worldwide host of a regular-season NFL recreation and it may occur as quickly as 2024.
The league is holding 5 video games in Europe this season — three in London adopted by two in Germany — and has focused Spain and France as the following European locations because it aggressively tries to increase its worldwide footprint.
“We’re definitely wanting on the viability of locations reminiscent of Spain and France in Europe,” Brett Gosper, NFL Head of Europe and UK, instructed The Related Press in an interview. “That’s why we’re at all times firsthand stadia and cities in the event that they align with our strategic goals in these markets.”
Brazil is amongst different international locations that the league has recognized as potential hosts. ESPN reported Sunday that the league has despatched officers to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, in addition to to Madrid, to collect data.
When requested if subsequent season is viable for a brand new metropolis, Gosper mentioned: “We don’t have sufficient data to say that with full confidence but. We’re analyzing that risk together with years past that.”
Stadium availability pushes France — Paris particularly — beneath Spain in the mean time. Paris is internet hosting the 2024 Olympics.
“If you’re speaking France, you’ve got received the Olympics, you’ve received a little bit little bit of uncertainty round licensing and leasing of the Stade de France, which might be the important thing stadium in France,” Gosper mentioned.
“So most likely Spain has the sting by way of the practicalities that we’re presently.”
Actual Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is almost completed with main renovations that embody a soccer pitch that retracts to make approach for a synthetic turf area that can be utilized for American soccer with a capability over 80,000. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has a long-term cope with the NFL to host London video games, has an identical system. Atlético Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium seats 68,000.
“We’re definitely having a detailed have a look at all stadia throughout Spain and different markets. There’s the Bernabéu, however there are different choices as nicely,” Gosper mentioned.
Barcelona’s Camp Nou is Europe’s largest soccer stadium however it’s present process renovations.
Worldwide enlargement was one purpose why the NFL added a seventeenth recreation to the schedule.
London has hosted video games since 2007. Final 12 months, Munich hosted the primary NFL regular-season recreation in Germany. Two video games can be performed in Frankfurt later this season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are enjoying back-to-back video games in London beginning subsequent Sunday — first a “house” recreation in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium adopted by an “away” recreation in opposition to the Buffalo Payments at Tottenham.
Twenty-one groups are collaborating within the NFL’s world markets program in 2023 throughout 14 worldwide international locations. The league has expressed curiosity in bringing video games to a number of of these markets and hasn’t dominated out placing a franchise abroad sooner or later.
Final 12 months, league commissioner Roger Goodell even floated the concept of getting a full European division of groups.
Beneath the worldwide markets program, the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins have industrial rights in Spain. Earlier this 12 months, the league granted the New Orleans Saints advertising and marketing rights in France — a primary for that nation.
The Dolphins are the one workforce with rights in Brazil.
“There’s undoubtedly numerous curiosity round Europe and different elements of the world to host video games, whether or not they be regular-season video games or preseason video games doubtlessly in locations the place the time zone does not match,” Gosper mentioned.
“There’s much more demand for that than there may be stock to offer,” he added.
That is why the league hopes that “a few of these world market program groups will step up in some unspecified time in the future” and transfer one in all their house video games to a brand new worldwide metropolis, he mentioned.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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