Why an NFL Team in Europe is a Bad Idea

     For the last few years, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has continually mentioned his vision to bring the NFL to Europe, specifically wanting a team in London as soon as possible.  Since 2007, England’s Wembley Stadium has hosted at least one regular season game per year, including three in 2014.  However, Goodell’s dream is a poor one, as numerous problems prevent the profitability and success of taking American Football overseas.

     The first issue with bringing the NFL to Europe is the lack of interest from NFL players.  The majority of players are not in favor of a European team, and some players including Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth would retire before playing for a team overseas.  One of the main issues behind this is that playing for a European team would require a player to leave their family for weeks or months at a time.

     Also, travel costs would be extensive for teams to travel to and from Europe.  The entire team, coaching staff, medical staff, and equipment would all need to be moved.  The toll on the players themselves would be a large one, as players on west coast teams would face 12-hour flights and an eight hour time difference, which could give them serious jet lag and take away needed practice time during the week.

     Another important fact to consider is that the potential internationally markets might not even want their own NFL franchise.  The NFL isn’t near as large internationally as in the United States, and for many people in Europe, the NFL would be a very tough sell.  When the NFL has its annual games in London, the games get hardly any press coverage in the UK.  While fans definitely exist, there wouldn’t be as many as in the US, where Los Angeles and San Antonio highlight the list of cities without an NFL team that would definitely support their own franchise. 

     What many people do not know is that the NFL has been overseas before, in a league called NFL Europe which existed from 1991-1992, 1995-2007.  This league featured teams in places such as London, Berlin, and Amsterdam.  This was a sort of minor league, however, with less talented players and nowhere near as much support as the NFL, as shown by reports that the league was losing $30 million per year until it officially ended.  In the London Monarchs’ final season in 1998, attendance was less than 6,000 per game, and most teams in the league failed to sell the majority of their tickets.

     Additionally, there are also legal issues that would arise with a team in London, the main potential market for a European NFL team.  Tax rates are higher in London than in the United States, meaning players would not be able to make as much money in the London than America, another reason why players disagree with playing overseas.  Labor laws in the EU may not allow the NFL Draft to occur for London teams.