For a league eager to grow its fanbase in Europe, the NFL has a pretty strange strategy: sending some of its worst matchups across the Atlantic. Since launching its International Series in 2007, the NFL has been determined to expand American football overseas, especially in the United Kingdom and, more recently, Germany.
Yet the games they export often feature struggling teams, creating an unexciting experience for new fans. Of the 42 NFL games held in Europe since 2007, only two matchups have involved both teams with winning records. This pattern makes many fans wonder why the NFL keeps sending its dullest games to Europe.
Winless Teams And Struggling Franchises
When NFL fans in Europe get a game, it often involves struggling teams. Nine times, the NFL has scheduled games featuring at least one winless team. The 2017 Cleveland Browns, infamous for their winless season, took their talents—or lack thereof—to London, becoming the second team in NFL history to go 0-16. In recent years, the NFL has also “treated” London to the Urban Meyer-coached Jaguars and a 15-loss Dolphins team led by the unforgettable Cleo Lemon.
This Sunday’s game in Germany is the ultimate example of the problem. The final NFL game in Europe this season is a “battle” between two teams currently tied for the worst record in the league. It’s the Carolina Panthers (2-7) facing the New York Giants (2-7), a game with more impact on next year’s draft order than on the current playoff race. The winner, while maybe slightly relieved, would still be miles away from playoff contention. The loser? They inch closer to the possibility of a top draft pick and maybe their future quarterback.
To make matters worse, halftime at this clash of cellar-dwellers will be marked by a performance from Machine Gun Kelly. NFL fans in Germany will not only have to sit through a matchup of two of the NFL’s most struggling teams but will get a little reprieve during the break.
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London’s Burden: The Jaguars Are Your “Home Team” Now
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No team in the NFL has been as consistently exported to the UK as the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since 2013, the Jaguars have played at least one game each season in London, doubling that in 2023 to two games per year. They’ve been anointed as London’s team, yet their track record is less than stellar. Over the past 16 NFL seasons, Jacksonville has made the playoffs only twice, with one solitary win in the 2017 season. That year, quarterback Blake Bortles put together one of his few flashes of competent play, a brief glimmer in an otherwise bleak timeline for the Jaguars.
Why send the Jaguars so often? Perhaps the NFL has realized it can sell out the stadiums regardless of which team takes the field. Between local fans curious to see American football live and expats craving a slice of home, the NFL’s games in London have consistently sold out, even if the matchups are underwhelming. Crowds in excess of 80,000 have packed into UK stadiums, with fans sporting jerseys from teams all across the league, not just the ones on the field. But are these European fans connecting with the sport, or are they just attending a spectacle?
“Destined To Be Global”? NFL Commissioner’s Promises And What They Mean For Future Fans
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been vocal about the league’s global ambitions. Recently, he hinted that the NFL could expand beyond Europe and the Americas, with potential games in Africa, Asia, and Australia. While this could be a great step toward truly making the NFL a global sport, there’s no indication that these new audiences would see the NFL’s best teams and brightest stars.
Europe’s NFL fans are already familiar with the disappointment of being on the receiving end of lackluster matchups. If the league decides to expand into new markets without adjusting its game selection strategy, fans across continents may get more of the same.
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Why Not Send The Best?
The NFL’s international strategy differs sharply from that of Europe’s top soccer clubs, which have strongly pushed to expand their brands in America. Teams like Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City spent part of last summer in the U.S., staging high-profile preseason exhibition games. Their preseason tours allow American fans to see marquee players, even if the games are friendlies and not high-stakes matchups.
But the NFL doesn’t want to send its biggest games to Europe if it means taking them away from prime U.S. time slots. An early Sunday morning game, which works well for a UK audience, can be inconvenient for West Coast viewers in the U.S. Because U.S. television ratings are crucial to the NFL’s bottom line, the league avoids scheduling high-stakes matchups in the less-than-ideal European time slot. Instead, it sends games to Europe that aren’t expected to draw high viewership at home.
Why European Fans Stick Around?
Despite the NFL’s less-than-stellar approach to its European games, the league’s fan base in the UK and Germany has steadily grown. TV viewership has increased, with more fans in the UK tuning in to watch games each season. Last year’s Super Bowl set a single-game viewing record in the UK, showing that the appetite for American football is real. If the NFL were to send competitive games with strong teams to Europe consistently, it might accelerate this growth even more.
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