NFL: GB and Ireland could stage more matches outside of London
The chief of NFL in the UK and Ireland has said the region could have more games outside of London in the future.
Dublin’s Croke Park will host its first NFL match in the 2025 season, in addition to the three games which take place annually in London.
Henry Hodgson, NFL UK general manager, admitted four is a good number but there’s room for more.
“It doesn’t mean to say that that’s where we would want to stop,” Hodgson told City PM. “I think being able to play a game in Dublin this year certainly expands our ambition a little bit to say, is there a world in which we might be able to play more games across the UK and Ireland and what other stadiums could become viable to host NFL games in the future?
“We have a great partnership with Tottenham and the Jags [Jacksonville Jaguars] have a great partnership with Wembley.
“So I wouldn’t anticipate anything different from that. But certainly the desire to bring the sport to more places regionally around the UK, that exists.”
Hodgson admits Cardiff’s Principality Stadium was looked at before the league settled on 82,300-capacity Croke Park – which yesterday hosted Leinster’s Investec Champions Cup tie against Harlequins – while he would not be drawn on the potential of Manchester United’s “New Trafford” project. He said “never say never” with regards to Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.
NFL overseas franchise
The NFL will this year host seven overseas games – with Germany, Spain and Brazil also staging events – which could rise to eight for the 2026 season.
But with talk of a potential overseas franchise playing in the NFL in the near future, Hodgson states that the league would first need to host 16 overseas matches per season to prove it is economically viable. Melbourne joins the hosting tour from 2026.
“Well, I think for now our focus is much more on expanding the markets that games will take place in and you’re seeing that,” Hodgson adds. “So I think in the near term, or medium term, could there be a point where we get to even play 16 games internationally per season.
“I think once you know that’s been achieved, and that’s a sort of relatively long term vision, then yes, the path for franchises outside of the US – London and elsewhere – becomes more viable.
“But I think in the near term, the focus is how do you expand the geographic footprint of NFL games around the world?”