European football teams have "long looked to the Far East as the next big thing in selling scarves, mugs and especially team shirts," according to Callum Jones of the LONDON TIMES. While the clubs "chase sales" in Asia, an "unexpected rival has turned up on their doorstep." American football, "it appears, has arrived in Europe." Sports kit seller Fanatics said that sales of NFL products doubled across Europe last year, suggesting that the NFL’s "huge transatlantic investment in recent years has paid off." Fanatics Int'l President Andy Anson said that the sport generated "nearly a million dollars of sales in one day" in October, when the New York Giants took on the L.A. Rams at Twickenham Stadium. Fanatics is contracted by Premier League clubs including ManU, Man City and Chelsea to "take charge of their online merchandise stores." Meanwhile, the popularity of the Premier League within Asian markets "continues to rise." Fanatics plans to open its first warehouse in Hong Kong this year to "handle increasing demand" (LONDON TIMES, 1/3).
