London Calling: The Globalization of the NFL

There has been a lot of discussion recently on the NFL expanding and setting up a team in London. Well first of all, London is by far the best location (outside of America) for the NFL to expand to. There is already a stadium that meets NFL specifications, London generates so much money from soccer (or football) each year, and there is an enormous population of sport fans. The NFL and many others see London as an opportunity to make much more money and the beginning of world-wide american football. Some individuals believe that the Wembley Stadium will be a "sellout-producing site" for american football. They also state that it is no longer an "if" scenario but rather a "when" scenario. If soccer teams can play world-wide, why can't NFL teams eventually do the same? Even though this all looks great on paper, is it actually possible?

In my opinion, american football spreading to London is still an "if" scenario. I agree that the NFL could have the same potential as soccer, but it will take a very long time and even that might not be enough. As Barnwell states, "It's easy to imagine the NFL staring at London as a possible destination for a future franchise, with a ready-built stadium and an enormous potential market for fresh fans, but reality tells us it would be playing a different game than the league's other franchises." American football is a much more popular sport than soccer in the USA and when it comes to England, soccer is much more popular than American football. All because the NFL is more popular in the USA does not mean that it will happen in London or anywhere else in the world. Sports play enormous roles in the development of societies and it will take many years for the NFL to become equally popular in England's society after so many years of dedication to soccer. Ultimately, on paper it seems like a fantastic idea but in reality it will not work out.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/22357154/london-calling-nfl-wants-uk-team-and-soon-jags-look-like-best-fit