The NFL wants to become a global sport, with the league’s International Series placing games in countries around the world while sparking football interest across the globe.
How far will the NFL proceed with globalization? Would the league be willing to host a Super Bowl outside the United States?
If London Mayor Sadiq Khan gets his way, the answer might be yes.
Will the Super Bowl Ever Take Place Overseas?
Speaking in April before his May re-election, Khan said on X (formerly Twitter) that he would work to bring the NFL’s biggest game to England if he remained Mayor.
London is already the sporting capital of the world.
If I'm re-elected next Thursday – we'll go even further.
We'll look to bring WrestleMania, Superbowl and the NBA to London, and put together another bid for the 2040 Olympics. https://t.co/kXcaEyhDYA
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) April 25, 2024
On Thursday, Khan reiterated his plan to make London the “sporting capital of the world,” noting he wants “more international events” in England’s capital city.
“The Super Bowl is really important for us,” Khan said, according to The Athletic UK. “We have a number of American football games and I want it to come here because we want American sports fans in Europe to come to London to watch them, not just go to America.”
As of 2023, 36 regular-season games have been played in London. Contests have taken place at Wembley Stadium, Twickenham Stadium, and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Three more London games are on the 2024 schedule: New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings (Week 5), Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears (Week 6), and New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 7).
However, the Super Bowl has never been played outside the United States. London could make sense as a potential site down the road, but moving the game to Europe would represent a significant shift for the NFL.
NFL Prioritizing Globalization With International Series
England has hosted more NFL games than any other country, but they aren’t the only nation to get involved in the league’s International Series.
Since 2016, the NFL has played five games in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. Germany has hosted three games over the past two years and will host another in 2024.
Brazil will get in on the action in 2024, with a Week 1 Friday game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers headed to Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians in September.
The league is planning a 2025 regular-season game in Madrid, Spain. Earlier this month, the NFL confirmed it is considering Australia for an international tilt. Rumors have linked the Los Angeles Rams to a potential contest in Melbourne.
In 2022, the NFL launched its Global Markets Program, designed to “build brand awareness and fandom beyond the US through fan engagement, events, and commercial opportunities.”
Twenty-five NFL clubs are now associated with 19 international markets (some teams are involved in more than one market). Speculatively, those associations could drive which countries the league selects for its next international games.
Where is Next Year’s Super Bowl Taking Place?
After three straight West Coast Super Bowls in Las Vegas, Inglewood, and Glendale, Super Bowl 59 will head back to the East Coast.
Next year’s Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans, La. New Orleans has hosted seven Super Bowls, beginning with Super Bowl 12 in January 1978.
Most recently, the city hosted Super Bowl 47 between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. That game — a 34-31 Ravens win — became known as the “Har-Bowl” because brothers John and Jim Harbaugh led the two clubs. Super Bowl 47 was also called the “Blackout Bowl” after a power outage caused a 34-minute stoppage.
Super Bowl 49 is set for Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. Although the exact start time of the game is unknown, every Super Bowl since 1991 has started between 6:19 and 6:40 p.m. ET.