Spurs London based NFL franchise 3 years away

The NFL want a London-based American football franchise, Alistair Kirkwood the NFL UK Managing Director wants and believes it will happen, it is his role to work towards it. The international series of games are designed to steadily grow the fan base in the UK to a point where a franchise can be sustained.

Spurs London based NFL franchise 3 years away


NKL Commissioner Roger Goodell has frequently said he wants a London-based franchise, but both agre the fanbase isn't yet of a size that can support a franchise. The deal with Tottenham Hotspur is key to NFL development over here and the long term benefits of Tottenham being the home of NFL in England is huge.

Kirkwood wants a London-based franchise, Manchester have tried to woo him into believing that would be the best location, but the NFL believe a team has to be based in London. To further a sport it needs a dedicated home, it needs specialist facilities for that sport, not the sport having to change to fit into an unsuitable venue.

The move from Tottenham to agree a stadium that incorporates the needs of American football, that provides a dedicated playing surface and seating that doesn't have to be moved or can't be used places the club hand in hand with the NFL and that means promotion on both sides of the pond.

The NFL fanbase is growing substantially and with Sky Sports covering the event, Tottenham will get beamed into homes even when we are not playing, it'll get beamed into American homes as well. Product awareness and familiarity are key marketing elements so the 'association marketing' that takes place positions Spurs as a major team in American eyes. If you back that up with frequent visits, the media exposure and talk of Spurs having more official fan clubs than any other Premier League side in America, you are placing the club in people's eyes as the club to follow.

We have signed up for 10 years of that and we would hope the initial venture grows into something more permanent. The thought at the moment is that if growth continues in the fanbase as it has been doing then a London-based franchise can start being seriously discussed in just 3 years time believes Alistair Kirkwood.

That is the aim and it coincides with a dedicated venue being ready so this 10-year deal is significant as it puts us in the driving seat to be the franchise base, rather than Wembley or the Olympic Stadium. The naming rights deal alone becomes significant and a potential huge earner given it would be going into the homes of two different sports both with huge fanbases.

I don't understand those who have questioned promoting ourselves in the American market given that every Premier League club is doing the same thing, are they all wrong, no of course not, it is a growing market and we have to gra as big a piece of the pie as we can.

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