Lions, Jaguars, Dolphins and Raiders all heading to Wembley next season.
The three regular season NFL games scheduled to take place at Wembley next season have sold out eight months in advance, according to league commissioner, Roger Goodell.
During his annual pre-Super Bowl address, the NFL commissioner also revealed his belief that the league had moved “further down the road” towards an eventual London franchise, although he isn’t sure at this stage when it will happen.
The NFL has been playing games in London since 2007 as part of its International Series, although this is the first time that three regular season games will be played at Wembley, following on from the success of two this past year.
The Miami Dolphins meet the Oakland Raiders on September 28, the Detroit Lions face the Atlanta Falcons and then the Dallas Cowboys take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 26 and November 9 respectively.
“I believe that the response to the third game in the UK, and the way that the fans have embraced that, sold that out in such a short period of time is just another indication that the more we give fans in the UK, of NFL football, the more they want,” said Goodell, as reported by The Guardian.
“That’s a great tribute to the fans there, and their passion.”
Goodell was particularly complimentary of the passion shown by the UK supporters, who continue to respond with sell-out games.
Players, coaches and experts have discussed the potential logistical issues with having an actual franchise in the English capital, although there have been calls for continuing to increase the number of games played across the Atlantic.
A similar idea has been presented by the in-coming NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, although he hinted that an entire division would have to be introduced if the idea of taking the game outside of the US could be a success.
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