As the Jaguars "prepare this week to play their second game at London's Wembley Stadium," it is becoming clear to Jacksonville political leaders and the NFL that the team’s repeated trips across the Atlantic "are about stabilizing the franchise to stay in Jacksonville," according to a front-page piece by Gene Frenette of the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION. Jaguars President Mark Lamping said, "Some people view London as a threat to the Jaguars. I view it the exact opposite. London is going to be one of the things that protects Jacksonville as an NFL market. It stabilizes a franchise that was unstable a few years ago." Frenette writes the Jaguars "understand that increasing revenues is paramount." One reason they agreed to become the only NFL team to play in London from '13-16 "was to pad local revenue that had fallen to 30th in the NFL." But the London "windfall -- bringing in ticket revenues that double a normal Jaguars home game," and now represents 15% of the team’s local revenue -- "is hardly the only benefit." Jacksonville leaders agree that Jaguars Owner Shad Khan’s vision "went beyond an immediate NFL payout for his franchise." It "was also a way of building the team brand overseas and, by extension, creating opportunities for economic growth and steering jobs to Jacksonville." Khan: "It’s not just ticket revenue, it’s corporate sponsorship revenue (from playing in London) and brand-building. They’re all tied. We have to work on all our revenues to get them up. London is a disproportionate part. That’s just a fact of life." The corporate sponsorship dollars "only add to a revenue stream the Jaguars desperately need for financial stability." Frenette reports the NFL is "carefully monitoring the response from fans all over the UK toward the Jaguars," and all signs point to fans "flocking to the Jaguars in significant numbers." Jaguars U.K. Sponsorship Dir Laura Oakes said that The Union Jax, the team's fan club in the U.K., has "seen its membership grow from 20,000 to 30,000 in the past year" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 11/4).
