The NFL American football league has confirmed plans to play four games in London next year, with Wembley to host two fixtures and two more to be held at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium.
The NFL concluded its 2018 London Games Series on Sunday, when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-18 at Wembley – the third sold-out game at the stadium in consecutive weeks.
Wembley will share hosting rights with Tottenham’s new stadium in 2019, although an opening date for the latter is yet to be confirmed, with the club confirming last week that it will not host its first match until January at the earliest.
Tottenham’s new stadium had this year been due to host the October 14 game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Oakland Raiders, but continued delays meant the fixture was moved to Wembley instead.
Tottenham has a 10-year agreement in place with the NFL to stage games at the stadium, which has been fitted with a retractable American football pitch.
Details of the teams that will play in next year’s London series have not been announced but the Jacksonville Jaguars will be involved in one of the Wembley fixtures as part of a long-term agreement to play an annual game at the stadium.
The UK’s Minister for Sport Tracey Crouch said: “The NFL in London is going from strength to strength and I am delighted that we will have four games in the capital next year, with Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium joining Wembley as a host venue. The league brings an incredible Super Bowl-style atmosphere to the UK, with fans sporting jerseys from a range of NFL teams packing out Wembley this autumn in record numbers. I am sure the two games at Tottenham next year will also be a huge success as the UK will once again show its passion and enthusiasm for this fantastic sport.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, added: “London is the world’s sporting capital and hosting NFL matches here is fantastic for fans of American football in the UK as well as supporters from all over Europe. The NFL brings huge benefits for our city and showcases London to millions of viewers overseas. We’ve staged some mouth-watering matches here and hope to host even more in the years to come as we demonstrate that London Is Open.”
Next year’s games will bring the total number of regular-season fixtures played in London to 28 since the series began in 2007.
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