New NFL Deal will Bring the Games to London for 10 Years
The National Football League (NFL) will be bringing more games to London, England.
The league announced that it has agreed to a 10-year deal that will require them to play at least two regular-season games per year at Premier League Club Tottenham's new stadium.
"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.
"We have an opportunity now to deliver one of the most unique sporting and entertainment venues in the world, bringing together the EPL and NFL for the first time," Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy stated, "We have a compelling and exciting partnership that will play its part as we begin transforming this area of Tottenham."
The stadium, which seats 61,000, is expected to open in 2018. There will be a retractable grass field with an artificial surface built underneath for football games.
This new deal should be welcomed by many people in London. According to BBC News, 2.8 million people living in the United Kingdom stated that they were "very interested" in the NFL. Another research study, cited by BBC as well, found that over 40,000 people aged 16 and over played football in England at least once a month.
"The wise heads that run the NFL have clearly not missed the fact that Londoners are going absolutely gangbusters for Gridiron," Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said. "Touchdowns in Tottenham can only add to our reputation as a global sporting powerhouse and help us take another step towards our goal of having a permanent NFL franchise in London."
The NFL's current contract with Wembley Stadium will expire in two years. The deal, which was signed in 2007, has brought a total of 11 regular-season games to England. Wembley will be hosting three games this year.
The NFL stated that they would still be opened to playing at other stadiums other than Tottenham.
