Football is thought of by many as the quintessential American sport. Sellout crowds from August through January are the rule, and many celebrate Super Bowl Sunday as a national holiday. However, football has had international appeal for decades. The NFL has played exhibition and regular season games in England, Japan and Mexico, and its product is seen worldwide on television. According to VoiceofAmericaNews.com, about 1 billion people watch the Super Bowl around the world.
Big Play Excitement
Fans throughout Europe grow up playing soccer. Soccer is a game of speed and strategy, spacing on the field and accuracy. Goals are infrequent. American football is much more explosive. Big plays come about when least expected and that draws international fans that like the big payoff without having to invest hours of time in the game.
British Appeal
British fans are huge consumers of American football. American football games are seen every week on British television, and American NFL games sell out every year when the league plays a game in London's Wembley Stadium. NFLUK.com offers replays of American football games during the week that British fans pay for and watch.
Possible Super Bowl
The idea of playing the Super Bowl outside of the United States may anger American football fans, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has raised the possibility of playing the Super Bowl in London. "There's a great deal of interest in holding a Super Bowl in London," Goodell said in 2007. "So we'll be looking at that."
Criticism
While fans in Europe and around the world watch NFL football, the league's desire to raise interest outside the United States is seen largely as a desire to put more money in the NFL's coffers. Europeans may watch football more frequently than they did in the past, but they do not play the game above the club level. It would not seem this is the basis for true growth in the sport. The fans may love the excitement and violence associated with the sport, but there are very few individuals outside North America that are willing to play the game.
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