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NFL touches down at England's home of rugby NFL touches down at England's home of rugby
(35 minutes later)
American football’s expansion into the UK will take a major step forward tomorrow when the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams descend on Twickenham. American football’s expansion into the UK will take a major step forward when the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams descend on Twickenham.
The match will be the first fixture in the National Football League (NFL), the most valuable sports league in the world, to be played in the UK outside Wembley stadium.The match will be the first fixture in the National Football League (NFL), the most valuable sports league in the world, to be played in the UK outside Wembley stadium.
The NFL started playing matches at Wembley in 2007. It expanded to two matches a year at Wembley in 2013 and three in 2014.The NFL started playing matches at Wembley in 2007. It expanded to two matches a year at Wembley in 2013 and three in 2014.
The man overseeing the international expansion of NFL is Mark Waller, a Briton poached from an executive role at Diageo, the drinks group, in 2007 to bring a fresh perspective and business know-how to the organisation.The man overseeing the international expansion of NFL is Mark Waller, a Briton poached from an executive role at Diageo, the drinks group, in 2007 to bring a fresh perspective and business know-how to the organisation.
Speaking to the Guardian ahead of the match at Twickenham in outer south-west London, which is expected to attract 75,000 fans, Waller said he wants to establish a permanent team, or franchise as they are known in the NFL, in the UK.Speaking to the Guardian ahead of the match at Twickenham in outer south-west London, which is expected to attract 75,000 fans, Waller said he wants to establish a permanent team, or franchise as they are known in the NFL, in the UK.
“I think there will be. I passionately believe that ultimately the best expression for a fan is to have their own team and I believe we will get to that point,” Waller said. “I think there will be [a franchise]. I passionately believe that ultimately the best expression for a fan is to have their own team and I believe we will get to that point,” Waller said.
“The way I have tried to explain it recently is LA. We were out of LA for 20 years and every year for 16 or 17 years the question would be asked ‘Well, when are you going back and why aren’t you back?’ There was never visible progress, then a couple of years ago two or three owners decided it was time to be back in LA and we are back in LA. That to me is the nature of the NFL. Things will move when owners are ready for them to move but that doesn’t mean that progress isn’t being made.”“The way I have tried to explain it recently is LA. We were out of LA for 20 years and every year for 16 or 17 years the question would be asked ‘Well, when are you going back and why aren’t you back?’ There was never visible progress, then a couple of years ago two or three owners decided it was time to be back in LA and we are back in LA. That to me is the nature of the NFL. Things will move when owners are ready for them to move but that doesn’t mean that progress isn’t being made.”
Waller, who joined the NFL in 2007 after spending 17 years working for Diageo and its predecessor companies, said the organisation had been “methodical” in its expansion into the UK. Its plans were heavily backed by George Osborne, the former chancellor, who publicly courted the NFL and talked up the prospects of a permanent team in London.Waller, who joined the NFL in 2007 after spending 17 years working for Diageo and its predecessor companies, said the organisation had been “methodical” in its expansion into the UK. Its plans were heavily backed by George Osborne, the former chancellor, who publicly courted the NFL and talked up the prospects of a permanent team in London.
The NFL agreed a deal to play at Twickenham, the home of English rugby, as a stepping stone to expanding further in the UK and potentially establishing a permanent London-based franchise. Other scheduled events at Wembley mean it could not expand the number of matches played there. The organisation has also struck a deal to play at least two matches a year for a decade at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium from 2018.The NFL agreed a deal to play at Twickenham, the home of English rugby, as a stepping stone to expanding further in the UK and potentially establishing a permanent London-based franchise. Other scheduled events at Wembley mean it could not expand the number of matches played there. The organisation has also struck a deal to play at least two matches a year for a decade at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium from 2018.
“We are trying to work our way through, in a disciplined way, the issues of putting a team here so you can look everybody in the eye and show them you have done the due diligence,” Waller said. “To me, the big issue for us putting a team here is that team has to be competitive.”“We are trying to work our way through, in a disciplined way, the issues of putting a team here so you can look everybody in the eye and show them you have done the due diligence,” Waller said. “To me, the big issue for us putting a team here is that team has to be competitive.”
Waller said that the NFL’s progress in the UK was ahead of their expectations and that the NFL highlight shows on the BBC are “bringing in literally the youngest demographic of any show on the BBC”.Waller said that the NFL’s progress in the UK was ahead of their expectations and that the NFL highlight shows on the BBC are “bringing in literally the youngest demographic of any show on the BBC”.
The NFL will also play a game in Mexico this year and is looking to expand in Canada, Germany and China. However, Waller insisted that Britain’s vote to leave the EU would not change the NFL’s strategy and could actually help the sport.The NFL will also play a game in Mexico this year and is looking to expand in Canada, Germany and China. However, Waller insisted that Britain’s vote to leave the EU would not change the NFL’s strategy and could actually help the sport.
“No, we have to manage that,” Waller said when asked whether Brexit changed anything. “One of things you learn in an international business is that you can’t control any of the environments that you operate in so you have to be agile and adept at managing changing circumstances. I don’t think anybody yet knows what the implications of Brexit will be and they will be different to what we currently anticipate them to be I am sure. But I am pretty sure we will find a way like everyone else to not only manage around it but make the most of it“No, we have to manage that,” Waller said when asked whether Brexit changed anything. “One of things you learn in an international business is that you can’t control any of the environments that you operate in so you have to be agile and adept at managing changing circumstances. I don’t think anybody yet knows what the implications of Brexit will be and they will be different to what we currently anticipate them to be I am sure. But I am pretty sure we will find a way like everyone else to not only manage around it but make the most of it
“Obviously in the short term you have currency fluctuations and those are both positive and negative for us. The currency takes the revenues down, but the expenses go down as well. I think the biggest impact will be what the implications are for free movement of labour and moving backwards and forwards across borders.”“Obviously in the short term you have currency fluctuations and those are both positive and negative for us. The currency takes the revenues down, but the expenses go down as well. I think the biggest impact will be what the implications are for free movement of labour and moving backwards and forwards across borders.”
The NFL is expected to generate record revenues of more than $13bn (£10.7bn) this year – a mixture of TV income, sponsorship deals, ticket sales and merchandise – up 50% on 2010, well ahead of the £3.3bn recorded by the Premier League’s 20 clubs, which includes ticket sales.The NFL is expected to generate record revenues of more than $13bn (£10.7bn) this year – a mixture of TV income, sponsorship deals, ticket sales and merchandise – up 50% on 2010, well ahead of the £3.3bn recorded by the Premier League’s 20 clubs, which includes ticket sales.
The NFL has a significantly different business model to the Premier League. While English football clubs are effectively free to spend as they wish, the NFL has a salary cap, a draft system that means the worst team in the league gets the first pick of the best college graduates, and shares the money generated from television, ticket and merchandise sales between all the teams. The NFL is effectively a socialist system in the biggest free market economy in the world.The NFL has a significantly different business model to the Premier League. While English football clubs are effectively free to spend as they wish, the NFL has a salary cap, a draft system that means the worst team in the league gets the first pick of the best college graduates, and shares the money generated from television, ticket and merchandise sales between all the teams. The NFL is effectively a socialist system in the biggest free market economy in the world.
“I think the beauty of our model is that its socially equitable and economically allows all teams to be more or less equal,” Waller said. “That is the heart of what being a fan is about – the belief that any team can win on any day. I think our league has structured itself and our ownership has consciously taken decisions to keep the competitive and economic equity and keep balance. That I think is a huge strength but there is a lot of work that is required to keep that.”“I think the beauty of our model is that its socially equitable and economically allows all teams to be more or less equal,” Waller said. “That is the heart of what being a fan is about – the belief that any team can win on any day. I think our league has structured itself and our ownership has consciously taken decisions to keep the competitive and economic equity and keep balance. That I think is a huge strength but there is a lot of work that is required to keep that.”