When it comes to putting an NFL team in London, plenty of logistical challenges make it a long shot, at least for now.
But the NFL still hasn’t ruled out the possibility of doing business in England far more extensive than sending teams there for a handful of annual games. Appearing last week on PFT Live, Patriots owner Robert Kraft reiterated his opinion that a franchise may land in London on a permanent basis.
“I really believe it could happen,” Kraft said. “The logistics have to be worked out and I think as we continue to play three games there and maybe even more that a decision on that could happen before the end of the decade.”
Whether or not a team moves to London, the NFL will keep staging games there and in other countries every year. Because the NFL knows that the key to growing the revenue lies in growing the sport beyond American borders.
“I think we have to educate people about how great our game is and when we do -- I know the two trips that we have made to London have been unbelievable -- and the more people understand our sport the more love it and we have pretty much tapped out what we can do here in America,” Kraft said.
While football likely hasn’t reached the point of complete saturation in the United States, the ceiling is much higher internationally. If, over the course of the next 50 years, the NFL can continue to grow the fan base in other countries, a billion-dollar sport can be well on its way to becoming a trillion-dollar endeavor.
