The N.Y. Jets will take on the Miami Dolphins in front of a sellout crowd at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday. The first of three NFL Int’l Series games this season was the second fastest-selling game in the eight-year history of the series, according to Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of NFL UK. Only the inaugural matchup between the N.Y. Giants and Dolphins in ’07 saw an even higher demand. “The demand [for Sunday’s game] has been unbelievable,” Kirkwood said. Ticket prices range from £35-£149 ($53-$225), according to the NFL UK website. More than 90% of the fans in attendance will be from the U.K., with the majority of those within a two-and-a-half hour commute of Wembley, Kirkwood said. Less than 10% will travel from mainland Europe (4%) or the U.S., including expats (5%). Sunday’s game, which will kick off at 2:30pm London, will air exclusively on BBC Two after the broadcaster signed a two-year deal with the league that includes live coverage of this year’s three London games and Super Bowl 50. “We expect to drive really huge audience numbers both on TV and digitally,” Kirkwood said. The BBC and Sky Sports will share the broadcasts of the remaining two games between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 25 and Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 1. All three games will be sold out, according to the league. Kirkwood said that close to 40,000 season-tickets holders will attend all three games at Wembley Stadium. “The demand is clearly there from a fan perspective,” he said. “We could sell out more games for sure.”
WHAT’S NEXT? The league is expected to increase the number of games going forward after signing a 10-year stadium partnership with Tottenham. The NFL is also in talks to extend its deal with Wembley Stadium, which is set to expire in ’16. Kirkwood confirmed ongoing negotiations with the FA, but said he has “no idea” regarding specific plans for additional games in the U.K. “[That] probably goes beyond my pay grade,” he said. “[But] I think we can put on more games and I think we can be successful with more games.” Kirkwood also pointed out the fact that asking teams to give up a home game is a major request. London Mayor Boris Johnson fueled speculations of a London-based NFL franchise during a recent Q&A on Twitter:
Asked about Johnson’s response, Kirkwood said, “You need advocates in high places. Boris has been a brilliant advocate and supporter for us.” He added that should the NFL decide to increase the number of games in the U.K. it has to find the right approach, either continuing flying different teams across the Atlantic or establishing a franchise. Kirkwood: “Obviously with a franchise it would be easier.”
