By Richard Murphy Edited by Peter Cordi
With the ever-growing interest in the United Kingdom, the call for a new franchise on these shores is building more and more momentum. The sport of American Football is the fastest growing sport in the UK at present, and due to the excellent coverage that the UK receives from Sky Sports and the increased improvement of Channel 4, the popularity looks set to rise even more. Last season, there were 3 sold out games at Wembley Stadium with ticket sales in excess of $10M for each game and once again this coming year there will be 3 more games including the UK’s first inter-divisional game that will see the New York Jets play the Miami Dolphins. Reportedly, they wanted to increase the number of games but due to other commitments Wembley Stadium couldn't hold more, something they likely regret.
Those numbers are the driving force behind the call for a franchise. Will it work though? There are downsides and question marks. Would players want to move to the UK on a permanent basis? The odd game per season wouldn't be a problem, but would an established player uproot his family and cross the pond? So not only will the new franchise have to compete with the rest of the NFL to begin with, but they will also have to sell the idea to every single player that they try to sign. Logistically, it would also be a nightmare. Getting entire teams over here on a weekly basis and then presumably having a bye the following week. This is something that the NFL will likely iron out quite quickly, though.
The biggest issue for a new franchise will be the fan-base. For new followers to the sport it won't matter as they will, most likely, choose the UK-based team automatically. The problem lies with the long-standing fans. They have a team they support already. Will they drop that team in favour of the new team? Would you drop the man or woman that you've loved for however long for someone else, with the only reason being that they lived next door? Many UK-based fans have already said they won't be doing so. They will probably follow them as a 'Second Team' but no more.
The optimal solution? Do not have a franchise at all but increase the number of games per season. This would work because more franchises would be coming over every year, which in turn makes everyone happy eventually, so all UK-based fans get to see the team they support.
With the ever-growing interest in the United Kingdom, the call for a new franchise on these shores is building more and more momentum. The sport of American Football is the fastest growing sport in the UK at present, and due to the excellent coverage that the UK receives from Sky Sports and the increased improvement of Channel 4, the popularity looks set to rise even more. Last season, there were 3 sold out games at Wembley Stadium with ticket sales in excess of $10M for each game and once again this coming year there will be 3 more games including the UK’s first inter-divisional game that will see the New York Jets play the Miami Dolphins. Reportedly, they wanted to increase the number of games but due to other commitments Wembley Stadium couldn't hold more, something they likely regret.
Those numbers are the driving force behind the call for a franchise. Will it work though? There are downsides and question marks. Would players want to move to the UK on a permanent basis? The odd game per season wouldn't be a problem, but would an established player uproot his family and cross the pond? So not only will the new franchise have to compete with the rest of the NFL to begin with, but they will also have to sell the idea to every single player that they try to sign. Logistically, it would also be a nightmare. Getting entire teams over here on a weekly basis and then presumably having a bye the following week. This is something that the NFL will likely iron out quite quickly, though.
The biggest issue for a new franchise will be the fan-base. For new followers to the sport it won't matter as they will, most likely, choose the UK-based team automatically. The problem lies with the long-standing fans. They have a team they support already. Will they drop that team in favour of the new team? Would you drop the man or woman that you've loved for however long for someone else, with the only reason being that they lived next door? Many UK-based fans have already said they won't be doing so. They will probably follow them as a 'Second Team' but no more.
The optimal solution? Do not have a franchise at all but increase the number of games per season. This would work because more franchises would be coming over every year, which in turn makes everyone happy eventually, so all UK-based fans get to see the team they support.