Why Does the NFL Play Games in London?
The 30-second answer
The NFL plays games in London to grow the sport internationally, new fans, new TV markets, new revenue. It started with one game at Wembley Stadium in 2007 and worked so well the league kept adding more. In 2026 there are a record nine international games across seven countries, including three in London. That’s why you sometimes see a 9:30 AM kickoff on a Sunday: it’s 2:30 in the afternoon over there.
The slightly longer version
American football is the biggest sport in the U.S., but globally it barely registers next to soccer and the NFL wants to change that. London was the test case: the first regular-season game at Wembley in 2007 sold out, the atmosphere was electric, and British fans turned out to be genuinely knowledgeable. So the league made it annual, then multiplied it. The Jacksonville Jaguars became London’s adopted team, playing there almost every year (they’re there twice this October). Now the international slate is a full-blown world tour: in 2026 the NFL is playing in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich, and Mexico City with Paris hosting its first-ever regular-season game on October 25. The games count in the standings exactly like any other, which is why a “home” team gives up a real home game to play abroad. And yes, there’s serious talk that London could get a permanent franchise someday.
What to watch for:
- The early kickoff. 9:30 AM Eastern on a Sunday means London. It’s the perfect background for your morning coffee and a gift for fans who can’t wait until 1 PM.
- The crowd. London crowds are loud and notably polite about both teams. You’ll hear cheers for big plays no matter who makes them.
- The Jaguars. If a team seems oddly at home in London, it’s Jacksonville and they’ve played there more than anyone and have a real fan base in the city.
- The expansion talk. Every year the London games sell out and every year someone asks: is a London franchise next? The league won’t say no.
Say this out loud
“London game with a 9:30 kickoff, don’t sleep in.”
“The Jags basically have a second home stadium.”
“They’d sell out Wembley every week if they put a team there.”
