The NFL isn’t leaving London anytime soon. The NFL and the Tottenham Hotspurs of the English Premier League announced a ten-year stadium partnership on Wednesday.
Under the deal the NFL will have at least two regular season games at the Hotspurs new stadium each year for ten years. The Hotspurs new stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2018, will feature a retractable grass field with an artificial surface, which would be used for NFL games, underneath. The NFL has two years left on its deal with Wembley Stadium and is optimistic that its relationship with Wembly will extend beyond 2016, according to the Associated Press. The Tottenham deal doesn’t prevent games from being played elsewhere in Britain.
"With growing enthusiasm for the NFL in the United Kingdom, we are committed to hosting NFL games in world-class venues and are excited to partner with Tottenham Hotspur to play games at their future stadium," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "We share a vision and commitment to creating the best experience for our teams, fans and the local community."
London Mayor Boris Johnson said that deal helps with their goal of having a permanent NFL franchise in London.
The NFL began playing games in London in 2007. Eleven regular season games have been played at Wembley Stadium since then. NFL interest has increased in the UK as a result of the games. There is a current fan base of 13 million, which is a 50 percent increase in the last three years, according to NFL.com. Participation in amateur football has increased by about 15 percent per year since 2007 in the UK.
The NFL will play three games in London this year.
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