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The National American Football league is set take the Superbowl to London in the next eight years. Officials from Mayor Boris Johnson's office and Visit London are said to have received assurances from the NFL that America's showpiece event will come to the capital by 2014. The NFL's Special Events team has picked out London as the outstanding candidate ahead of Canada, Germany and Mexico.
Bidding process - 'Internationalise' American Football
A 'bidding' process similar to the Olympics would be held - the decision is expected in 12 months and London should finalise its bid by November this year. The commercial head of Visit London, David Hornby said: "We are looking at 2014, 2015 or 2017." 2016 looks unlikely as the event is expected to go to LA as is 2018 as England hope to stage the World Cup. NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell has tried to downplay talk of the final moving overseas to calm franchise owned teams who fear the move to 'internationalise" the sport is being rushed.
£350 million boost
The Superbowl could deliver a £350 million boost to the local economy as hundreds of conferences and functions as well as 100,000 visitors decamp to West London. Commercial Director of Wembley Stadium, Jonathan Gregory, said: "We will do everything we can do to work with the NFL and help bring this amazing even to London."
Three Wembley sell-outs
Tickets for the NFL's third competitive game at Wembley in October sold out, shifting 20,000 in the first few minutes. "It is proof of a growing audience for the sport," said NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood. In its first London game 81,176 fans were at the west London arena for the New York Giants vs Miami Dolphins game. Last year, 83,226 attended the New Orleans Saints vs San Diego Chargers. London team? Earlier in the year the heads of the NFL talked of London fielding their own team in the championship. In 10 to 12 years the city could be completing with the likes of the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Comments by the NFL boss at last years game at Wembley suggested as much and recently its head of sales and marketing spoke of putting it into practice Speaking to BBC, Mark Waller said: "The commissioner and I have talked about 10 years so that's mentally how we're framing it. "Would we be hugely disappointed if it's not 10 and it's 12? No, but that's the goal".
Kirkwood added:
"We plan rigorously. There is a view for the future. We've taken a west coast team (to London) this year in San Diego and we've proved the logistics of that work," he explained. "This year we're going to have games going on in London and Toronto at the same time so we definitely have a way forward."
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