In a potential move that would likely upset some NFL fans, the biggest event on the American sporting calendar could be jumping across the pond.
Per a report from The Daily Mail that has been substantiated by other legit sources, Tottenham Hotspur of the EPL are prepping a bid to host the Super Bowl and all the activities that come with it at the team’s stadium in London in 2026.
A stadium designed with both high-end American football and British soccer in mind, the $1.6-billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was built with the NFL on board as a financial partner (the league contributed $12.8 million toward the cost of the venue). The multi-use stadium already hosts two regular-season NFL games per year and has replaced Wembley Stadium as the league’s UK HQ.
“The soccer team was so insistent that this had to be a well-done NFL stadium that every time we brought it up, they were accommodating,” said stadium architect Brady Spencer. “They said, we don’t want any reason as to why this doesn’t work.”
Hosting a Super Bowl can generate upwards of $400 million and securing the rights to one requires a bidding process akin to that for a World Cup or Olympic Games; it involves promises on issues including parking, hotels and tax exemptions.
However, hosting the Super Bowl might not come down to money. It could simply be a matter of time difference, as London is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the U.S. and could require an awkward kickoff time.
“The biggest obstacle to Tottenham’s ambitions would appear to be London’s time zone, which would necessitate a very late kick-off in order to suit the domestic American TV market, which could lead to objections from Haringey Council,” per The Mail. “The Super Bowl is America’s biggest TV event of the year with viewing figures of more than 100 million and U.S. advertisers would need reassurances that such numbers would not be jeopardized.”
Super Bowl LVI is set to kick off in Los Angeles on Sunday and big game will next be held in Arizona, Las Vegas and New Orleans. Per The Mail, Stadium Australia in Sydney would also be interested in hosting the game at some point.
“The reality is Tottenham’s chances of buying the Super Bowl inside the next five years look slimmer than slim. The list of obstacles is huge and opposition will be fierce,” per Sports Illustrated. “But they might not necessarily need to win the final bidding process in order for it to be a worthwhile exercise. Just like a fame-hungry singer does not need to win the X-Factor to get a decent recording contract out of it. Being the bidder that is seen to seriously try to take the NFL showpiece outside of the States for the first time is going to command attention.”
It seems it already is.
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