LONDON – Yes, but it’s not that simple.
If there’s ever going to be a Super Bowl played outside the United States, London would be the odds-on favorite. It has the infrastructure, hotels, restaurants and transportation to support a Super Bowl. It checks nearly every box needed for the National Football League to consider it a host city.
The problem is: It’s London. There is no home team or franchise. It’s 3,300 miles from the nearest NFL team.
When asked if it could happen in the next five or 10 years, NFL UK General Manager Henry Hodgson said it’s a no. His answer comes after momentum for a Super Bowl across the pond increased last fall. Hodgson said he understands the appeal.
“Theoretically, if there were a franchise, there’s a great stadium here, there’s a great fan base,” Hodgson told the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and Capital News Service. “I think Super Bowls are attractive to anyone anywhere.”
The British Ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, made a ‘big’ pitch to the NFL back in August.
“I want that Super Bowl in Britain. I don’t care when it takes place, but I want it announced while I’m ambassador,” he told The Times of London.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged the idea of an international Super Bowl, but said the city needs a franchise first.
“Roger Goodell would get murdered if he proposed that,” said Joe McLoone, a Philadelphia Eagles fan. “I don’t think there will ever be a Super Bowl here.”
McLoone moved from Maryland to London over 20 years ago. He’s been to 4-5 NFL games since moving to the UK, including an Eagles game.
“I don’t think there will ever be a full-time team here,” he said. “It’s too American to come out to the UK.”
Labeled as “London’s team,” the Jacksonville Jaguars could be that full-time franchise. Since the city began hosting games in 2007, the Jaguars have played a league-high 13 times across the pond.
The team is also the only NFL franchise to have an office in London. Mackenzie Cadman, the Jaguars’ UK operations manager, said it’s “operationally” possible to host a Super Bowl in the UK.
“We fill out Wembley Stadium, basically every year, with 86,000 people. There’s been some Super Bowls in the past few years that don’t have that capacity, he said. “I believe it’s possible. But again, I’m not the one that makes the decision.”
Cadman leads the team’s operations at Wembley Stadium each season. He said the teams would all need to agree on the location and face potential backlash from U.S. fans.
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Former Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh thinks it should happen.
“There’s no doubt in my mind,” he told Sky Sports. “I would be willing to bet in the next five years it happens.”
Suh works as a Sky Sports commentator and suggested Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the site for the big game.
If it decides to host the big game in London, the NFL has two options: Wembley Stadium or Hotspur Stadium.
The new home of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. opened in 2019. The league worked closely with designers and the Premier League club to make sure the stadium could support the league.
“That stadium has really become the home of the NFL in the UK,” said Hodgson. “I would put it up there with some of the best stadiums in the NFL.”
When asked which stadium would host the Super Bowl, he said it’s a give-and-take decision. Wembley Stadium holds more seats, but Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has better facilities.
Molly Hart lives in London and became an NFL fan after watching the Jaguars play at Wembley Stadium. She’s been a die-hard fan ever since.
“I wouldn’t want it,” she said at the official Jaguars’ playoff watch party in London on January 11. “I love the Americanism of it. A Super Bowl here would take that away. I love it for America.”
In addition to fan support, the league would have to figure out challenging logistics.
For example, if the Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on the East Coast for American viewers, it’s 11:30 p.m. in London.
“So I suppose the question would be, what would the tolerance be in the US of an earlier kick off on Super Bowl Sunday,” Hodgson told CNS reporters.
The earliest London could host the game is 2029 because the league already assigned the next three Super Bowl host cities. It also potentially competes with the Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears. All expect to have new stadiums and potentially would be bidders for the game.
On paper, London can host a Super Bowl. The league, however, is focused on building the UK fanbase first.
It’s off to a strong start after 18 years and 39 games. There are 17.3 million fans in the UK, according to NFL UK. Hodgson also told CNS there were over 500,000 fans who signed up to buy tickets for the first-ever London NFL game.
Passion for American football in the UK appears to be growing. If the NFL’s “World Championship” does go worldwide, London is the logical place to host it. What’s unclear is whether the league will decide if the logistical obstacles and fan opposition are too much to overcome.
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