Could there be a British NFL?
Alice Reder-Khan, LLB Law
More people than ever before in the UK are watching American football and taking an interest in the National Football League (NFL). It makes sense that the NFL interests British sports fans because of its strategic depth and similarities with rugby. Given that the sport has existed for over a century, the recent surge in popularity is likely due to the sport’s increasing high profile on social media.
Short clips and NFL game highlights shared on platforms such as TikTok mean that many online users, particularly young people, are discovering the sport. The wearing of NFL merchandise is also becoming increasingly trendy worldwide. This has undoubtedly spread the game both on and offline to new audiences. This is all evidenced by the growing spectacle of the Super Bowl in the UK, which reported 550,000 viewers on ITV alone this year. The heavily anticipated American championship is also heavily advertised over social media, allowing UK audiences to join in on the excitement from abroad.
This clearly increasing demand has led to the NFL becoming far more accessible to the British public. Sky Sports, for example, broadcasts multiple games each week to thousands of viewers. These broadcasts have proven to event organisers and stadiums that there is a market for the sport in the UK. As a result, we now see official NFL games regularly played in London, albeit between American teams.
Despite the clear popularity, the chances of an American football league ever being established in the UK seems slim. Although the Tottenham Hotspur stadium was the first stadium outside of the US designed with NFL games in mind, there remain significant challenges for any potential UK leagues. Mainly, the lack of infrastructure, not all current football stadiums can support American football, and the challenges of new venues would be significant. We also lack the population to fill stadiums and recruit players in the same way the Americans can. Most NFL players have also played throughout high school and college, giving them years of experience and training. This is not the case for most British players, so securing players that can compete at even close to the American level will likely prove very challenging.
Ultimately, despite most international NFL games being hosted in the UK and the increasing demand for our own version of the league, the lack of infrastructure and talent likely means establishing it would take a very long time and be very costly. That’s not to say it’s impossible - we will simply have to wait and see how the trend progresses.
