The first time I saw an NFL game live in London, it was freezing. I’d just moved to Manchester from the States, and my mates in London said, ‘You’ve got to see this.’ I walked into Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December, bundled up, expecting maybe 15,000 fans. Instead, there were over 60,000 people - mostly British - cheering, waving foam fingers, and chanting ‘Let’s go, Cowboys!’ like they’d been doing it their whole lives. That’s when it hit me: American football isn’t just surviving in the UK - it’s growing.
How NFL London Games Started
The NFL didn’t just show up in London one day. It was a slow build. Back in 2007, the New York Giants played the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium. Only 83,000 tickets were sold - and most went to expats and fans who’d flown in. The league thought it was a one-off experiment. But the crowd stayed loud. The TV ratings in the UK jumped 40% that year. By 2016, the NFL had signed a multi-year deal to play at least one game in London every season.
Today, the NFL plays two to three games in London each year. The games are scheduled for October and November, when the weather’s still bearable and the UK school holidays are over. The league picked London because it’s got the infrastructure, the international audience, and the appetite for big events. But they didn’t just pick any stadium. They chose Wembley first - iconic, historic, and easy to reach. Then, in 2019, they added Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Why? Because it was built for football - but with NFL-friendly features: a retractable pitch, 100-yard field length, and luxury boxes that sell out faster than Premier League tickets.
Who Shows Up?
It’s not just Americans living in the UK. The crowd is mostly British. I’ve sat next to a 72-year-old retired teacher from Brighton who’s been to every London game since 2014. She doesn’t know the difference between a nickel and dime defense, but she knows when the quarterback gets sacked - and she celebrates like she just won the lottery. Then there are the kids. I saw a 10-year-old in a Patrick Mahomes jersey holding a foam finger shaped like a touchdown zone. His dad told me, ‘He watched the Super Bowl on YouTube last year. Now he wants to be a tight end.’
The NFL’s marketing team knew they couldn’t just show up and expect Brits to get it. So they started youth programs. The NFL UK Youth Flag Football program now runs in over 1,200 schools. Teachers use it as a PE activity. Girls make up nearly half the players. In 2023, over 40,000 kids played flag football in the UK. That’s not a drop in the ocean - it’s a tide.
Why It Works
Here’s the thing: British people don’t need to love American football to love NFL London Games. They love the spectacle. The halftime shows with UK artists. The giant screens showing instant replays. The food stalls selling hot dogs, nachos, and - yes - fish and chips with a side of BBQ sauce. The games feel like a festival, not a sport. And that’s the secret.
Plus, the NFL doesn’t treat London like an afterthought. They’ve got local broadcast partners like Sky Sports and the BBC. They run pre-game fan zones with drills, VR experiences, and meet-and-greets with former players. One year, they brought in former England rugby star Jonny Wilkinson to kick a field goal on the field. The crowd went wild. He didn’t make it. But they cheered anyway.
The NFL also knows British fans are smart. They don’t want dumbed-down versions of the game. They want the real thing - full rules, full intensity, full commercials. The league doesn’t edit out the timeouts. They don’t cut the replay reviews. They let the game breathe. And that’s why fans stick around.
What’s Next?
There’s talk of a permanent NFL team in London. Not a ‘home’ team like the Jaguars used to be - but a true franchise. The NFL has said it’s ‘open to the possibility.’ The UK has the population, the TV market, and the stadium capacity. A London team could play 8 home games a year. Imagine: a London franchise in the AFC North. Or a London team called the Royals, playing in front of 70,000 fans every October.
It’s not just about money. It’s about legacy. The NFL has been in the UK for nearly 20 years. That’s longer than the Premier League’s global expansion. And unlike soccer, where the US has struggled to build a fanbase, American football has found a foothold here - not because it’s easy, but because it’s been treated like a real sport.
How to Get Involved
If you’re in the UK and want to see a game, here’s how:
- Buy tickets early - they go on sale in March, and most sell out in under an hour.
- Join a local NFL fan club. Cities like Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh have active groups that watch games together.
- Try flag football. The NFL UK website lists local leagues for all ages.
- Watch on Sky Sports NFL or BBC iPlayer. They show every game live.
- Don’t be shy. Walk into a pub on game day. Someone will always have a jersey to lend you.
The first time I went to a game, I didn’t know a blitz from a sack. But I left knowing the name of every player on the Eagles’ offense. That’s the power of being there. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to show up.
What’s Changed Since 2020
Before the pandemic, London games were mostly about exposure. Now, they’re about identity. The NFL has moved beyond just testing the market. They’ve built a community. In 2023, the average age of a UK NFL fan dropped to 31 - younger than the average fan in the US. Social media is full of British fans posting game-day outfits, custom jerseys, and TikTok breakdowns of defensive schemes. One fan in Leeds made a 3D-printed replica of the Super Bowl trophy. He posted it online. It got 2 million views.
The NFL’s UK office in London now employs 35 full-time staff - marketing, youth outreach, media, and logistics. That’s more than their entire Canadian team. And they’re hiring. Last year, they opened a new training center in Milton Keynes for coaches and referees. It’s the first of its kind outside the US.
Why This Matters
It’s not just about football. It’s about how sports cross borders. The NFL didn’t force American culture on the UK. They didn’t try to replace rugby or cricket. They made space. They let British fans make the game their own. And that’s why it works.
When you see a 12-year-old girl in a London suburb yelling ‘Hike!’ before a flag football game, you realize this isn’t a novelty. It’s a movement. And it’s here to stay.
Are NFL London Games really popular in the UK?
Yes. NFL London Games regularly sell out stadiums with 60,000+ fans, and over 80% of attendees are British. TV ratings for these games often outperform Premier League matches on weekends. The NFL UK fan base has grown by over 300% since 2015, with millions watching live on Sky Sports and BBC.
Can I buy tickets to NFL London Games easily?
Tickets are hard to get. They go on sale in March each year through NFL Ticket Exchange and official partners like Ticketmaster UK. Most games sell out within hours. Fans often join official fan clubs for early access. Prices range from £45 for upper seats to over £200 for sideline views.
Is there a chance the NFL will have a permanent team in London?
The NFL has said it’s ‘open to the possibility.’ A London franchise would play 8 home games a year, likely at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The league has already invested in infrastructure, youth programs, and local staff. While no official announcement has been made, internal reports suggest a London team is the most likely next step in international expansion.
Do I need to understand American football to enjoy the games?
No. Many British fans don’t know the rules at first. The NFL makes it easy with in-stadium graphics, live commentators explaining plays, and fan zones with interactive demos. The atmosphere - the music, the food, the energy - is just as important as the game. You can enjoy it as a festival and learn the rules later.
Where can I play American football in the UK?
You can play flag football through the NFL UK Youth program, which runs in over 1,200 schools. For adults, the British American Football Association (BAFA) runs full-contact leagues in cities like London, Manchester, and Glasgow. There are also women’s leagues and youth tackle programs. Check BAFA.org for local teams and registration dates.