 All-Party Parliamentary American Football Group (Posted November 5, 2018) Tweet Ever since the NFL began scheduling regular season games to be played in London, we have wondered whether the league is using these games to expand the fanbase of existing franchises, or to pursue expansion into Europe much the same way some of the founders of the nation sought to bring Canada into the United States (read Christopher Hitchens, Thomas Jefferson: Author of America). In light of the demise of NFL Europe, declining participation in youth football, recent declines in NFL broadcast viewership, and the hegemonic hold of soccer in Europe and across the world, the London initiative, at first glance, appears to be merely a marketing ploy, a lottery ticket that the league hopes will pay off in ways that NFL Europe did not. Examining the issue more closely, however, it seems that the headwinds that the NFL is facing, which may be a storm in a teacup given the strength of the league's balance sheets, actually validate limited engagements in Europe that would otherwise pose a higher opportunity cost if growth were robust. The value created by the NFL is found in the entertainment markets derived from the games, so although it is a disappointment to the home team supporters to lose one of only eight regular season games of the year, there is, in the abstract, a compensating benefit in the increased resources available to the team coming from international media and entertainment interests. With an increase in profitability for the franchises, the efficiency argument is made complete by popularity of the games among supporters in the UK. To our surprise, even with Premier League matches being played at the same time, the football games at Wembley Stadium were sold out. There is, moreover, an All-Party Parliamentary American Football Group led by Peter Bone, and, given the Member for Wellingborough's well-deserved reputation as an assiduous parliamentarian, the NFL is quite fortunate to have such a capable advocate in the House of Commons. The All-Party Parliamentary Group's website: www.parliamentary.football Twitter handle: @ParliamentAFG Member MP's: Peter Bone Chris Stephens Catherine West Jon Cruddas Gavin Newlands Andrew Percy Tom Pursglove Ed Vaizey Craig Mackinlay Alex Norris Articles about the state of football in the US: High School Participation courtesy of The Washington Post High School Participation courtesy of Forbes NFL TV Ratings courtesy of Variety NFL TV Ratings courtesy of The Atlantic NFL Popularity in the UK courtesy of The Independent |
| Tags | Peter Bone | Jon Cruddas | Craig Mackinlay | Gavin Newlands | Alex Norris | Andrew Percy | Tom Pursglove | Chris Stephens | Ed Vaizey | Catherine West |