Tottenham Hotspur receive bad news about hopes of hosting historic £740m event
NFL reporter Charlie Wilson has reacted to suggestions that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could play host to the Super Bowl within the next five years.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium plays host to two NFL matches per year, being the only stadium outside North America that is purpose-built to host the sport.
The tie-up with the NFL is part of the reason why Spurs represent such an attractive investment opportunity for many across the globe.
It was suggested recently by Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones that Tottenham’s home ground could play host to the Super Bowl within the next five years.
Tottenham’s chances of hosting the Super Bowl played down
However, Charlie Wilson has now explained that the venues for the next five Super Bowls have already been decided and that the showpiece event of the NFL will not be coming to London.
He further pointed out the logistical and commercial issues that may arise from playing the game in the UK, suggesting that it is not a realistic idea at the moment.
When asked about Jerry Jones’ comments on the Super Bowl being played at Spurs, Wilson told Football Insider: “The next five years is highly unlikely. I would say 98 per cent it’s not going to happen because this year it’s in San Francisco, they’ve already got Los Angeles in 2027, 2028 is in Atlanta, Dallas is being lined up for 2029, and I believe 2030 is one of the new stadiums being built.
“I mean, it’s possible in the future. The NFL UK really wants to do it. I’ve spoken to Henry Hodgson, who’s the general manager of NFL UK, quite a few times, and he’s always told me that’s something they aspire to get, but the logistics of it almost make it impossible, I think it’s fair to say.
“The thing is with the Super Bowl is it’s basically a holiday in America. It’s kind of like Thanksgiving. It’s kind of like Halloween. It’s something the whole nation looks forward to, and having it in the UK, what time would it be on? Say it starts at 8 pm, that’s 3 pm on the East Coast and 12 pm on the West Coast.
“Financially, you think about things like adverts. For example, companies pay about $7million (£5.2m) for a 30-second advert. Is that going to change because of the time it’s on? Probably. So, you’re talking about the NFL losing multi-millions to go abroad, which isn’t going to be celebrated by teams or players. It doesn’t make a lot of sense right now, I would say.”
NFL UK know Super Bowl is not coming to London
According to Forbes, last year’s Super Bowl generated an economic impact of $1bn (£740m) for Las Vegas as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Sin City.
Wilson suggested that the economic footprint of the game is another reason why it will not be moved out of the United States anytime soon, adding that the NFL UK are aware of that.
He continued: “It brings the said city an insane amount of money, not only that, but for the team hosting it and the use of their facilities. It’s such a money-maker for the cities, so why would they want to take it abroad? What’s the upside for the NFL to play a Super Bowl in London apart from the game, which they’re already doing at an insanely good rate anyway?
“You look at the games in London this year. They’re at an all-time high on the attendance list. Is a Super Bowl really going to push it over the edge? The pros and the cons just don’t seem to make it likely for it to happen anytime soon, and I think the NFL UK acknowledge that. They know the NFL don’t want to take the Super Bowl abroad.”
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