Saturday, April 25, 2009

NFL Confirms Talks to Hold Super Bowl in London

Source: www.foxnews.com

A senior NFL official confirmed that 'substantive talks' have been held with London officials about holding the Super Bowl abroad, the BBC reported Friday.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has expressed interest in the past about bringing the game to London in an effort to expand the game to a global audience.

"We've spoken on what it would take to host and for us to bring it over," the BBC quotes events vice-president Frank Supovitz, speaking in New York City a day before the NFL Draft will take place there. "The city has all the facilities needed, and in great quantity."

Visit London, the city's official visitor organization, has long pursued a deal to bring the Super Bowl to the capital.

"Ever since the NFL began playing games in London we have been in discussions with the NFL about what is involved in staging Super Bowl from the host city perspective," the BBC quoted commercial director David Hornby.

While the venues for the next three Super Bowls have already been chosen, London appears to be a real possibility down the road.

The NFL has already had success there, with a regular season game at Wembley in 2007 drawing 80,000 fans to watch the New York Giants play the Miami Dolphins.